ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities on Friday to expand access for Pakistani agricultural products in various countries worldwide, with officials identifying China, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations as important markets for the South Asian country.

Pakistan’s agriculture sector contributes around 23 percent to its Gross Domestic Product and employs around 37 percent of the national labor force. About 70 percent of Pakistan’s exports are directly or indirectly derived from agriculture, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Sharif chaired a high-level meeting on Friday, his office said in a statement, wherein he directed authorities to take coordinated measures to expand access for Pakistani agricultural products worldwide.

“The [participants of the] meeting proposed establishing value chains to increase agricultural exports,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. “China, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the Gulf countries are important markets for Pakistan’s agricultural exports, as per the briefing.”

Officials informed the prime minister that Pakistan’s agricultural exports stood at $5.18 billion during the last fiscal year. Rice, fisheries, halal meat, potatoes, sesame, tobacco, mangoes and maize were among the country’s major agricultural exports.

Officials also decided during the meeting that facilities related to agricultural financing will be provided to support exporters, the PMO said.

Pakistan has sought to enhance its partnership with Saudi Arabia in agriculture and improve its food exports to the Kingdom. Saudi minister of environment, water and agriculture, Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli held meetings with senior Pakistani officials in Islamabad last month during his visit tot he country.

Both countries agreed to enhance cooperation in food security and agricultural coordination, committing to raise Pakistan’s agricultural and food exports to Saudi Arabia to $3 billion within the next two years.