farmlandgrab.org | Pakistan

Corporate farming raises concern among local growers
- The News
- 28 January 2009
Local farmers have protested against the government’s initiative to invite foreign investors in corporate farming, thus allowing them to take 100 per cent of the yield.
Govt mulling to raise police personnel for investors’ security
- Daily Times
- 23 January 2009
Federal Government is seriously considering to raise 0.1 million police personnel in each province for increasing the security for the investors, Federal Minister of Investment, Senator Waqar Ahmad Khan said at a dinner hosted in honour of ambassadors of Western countries.
Pakistan’s food insecurity
- Daily times
- 20 January 2009
For the practical realisation of the goal of food sovereignty that has been eluding our nation since the time of independence, the importance of genuine agrarian reform and peasants’ rights cannot be underestimated.
Investment Minister for capitalizing relations with UAE
- Daily Mail
- 15 January 2009
Senator Waqar said that a new investment policy for the next 10 years is on cards which would be prepared with the consultation of private sector.
Corporate farming and food security
- Dawn
- 29 December 2008
As investment-starved Pakistan puts its 1.1 million acres of agriculture land on the auction block next year, farmers wonder what it would mean for food security and social fabric of the country.
Foreign investors may get legal cover
- The News (Pakistan)
- 20 December 2008
The Pakistan government is all set to provide legal cover through parliament to protect foreign investors and their investment in all sectors particularly agriculture. “We are in talks with investors from Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia, for investment in corporate farming. Investors will be ensured repatriation of 100 per cent crop yield to their countries even in case Pakistan faces food deficit,” Federal Investment Minister Waqar Ahmad Khan said.
Pakistan: GoP finalises plan to offer ownership of agri lands to investors
- Daily Times
- 17 December 2008
The Pakistani government has finalised plans to offer ownership of agricultural lands to investors for farming to achieve self-sufficiency in agriculture produce, Federal Minister for Investment, Senator Waqar Ahmad Khan told Daily Times. “We are extremely enthusiastic in providing areas for farming with great incentives,” he added.
Welcome fades for wealthy nations
- Financial Times
- 20 November 2008
The initial welcome given to rich countries’ investment in African farmland by agricultural and development officials has faded as the first ventures prove to be heavily weighted in favour of the investors. The FAO warned of such a trend when it said this year that the race to secure farmland overseas risked creating a “neo-colonial” system.
Booming Gulf looks overseas for agriculture needs
- Associated Press
- 16 November 2008
Gulf nations now are quietly scouring the globe for rich farmland to rent or buy outright.
Region gains an appetite for Africa
- MEED
- 14 November 2008
As the Gulf's agricultural production rates slow and food prices around the world continue to rise, GCC members are investing heavily in the fertile lands of Africa and Asia.
Global Food Crisis: A Bowl of Opportunities for Muslim World
- Dinar Standard
- 03 November 2008
This analysis looks at how the oil-rich Muslim economies could leverage their existing relationships with agriculture based Muslim economies (which have a wide productivity gap with the worlds net agriculture exporters) taking them to globally competitive levels; reaping for themselves high investment returns, securing their own food sources, and contributing to alleviation of the food crisis from other Muslim countries.
UAE examines farm future
- The National
- 19 October 2008
Some experts believe that the emphasis should be on overseas agricultural investments as well as a boost in trade relationships, due to the unavoidable handicaps to domestic agriculture.