Azeem Ahmed Khan

Pakistan’s first-ever FAO chief says Pakistan’s new tea strategy signals a shift from imports to domestic production. The Domestic Tea Commercialisation Strategy represents a major policy shift from decades of import dependence toward building a competitive local tea industry, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) chief in Pakistan has said.

“This is a landmark, where we are able to move from tea importation to tea production,” James Okoth, Officer in Charge at FAO Pakistan, told Wealth Pakistan in an interview. He said FAO’s analysis provided “empirical evidence of the potential for tea production, especially in KP,” identifying strong prospects for high-quality tea and significant livelihood opportunities for local households.

Okoth said the initiative is a “major landmark” due to its investment requirements and long-term financial returns. “It will take up to around four years to begin generating income, but the income will continue to be produced in a steady manner for quite a long time. So, it is the right investment,” he added.

Tea cultivation, he noted, also offers environmental benefits. “Tea stabilises the soil, and in KP, which is often affected by glacier floods, tea will help stabilise the land. So, it is a climate-smart value chain,” he said, praising the federal and KP governments “for taking it on as a main area for investment.” He underscored that “tea production in Pakistan is possible, and it is open to investment.”

On the newly launched strategy, Okoth said it provides a clear roadmap for reviving the tea industry. “The strategy which the Planning Minister just launched today provides a very clear analysis that any private sector or any government requires in order to invest,” he said. “The roadmap is ready; we just need to operationalise it.” He added that FAO remains available to support both the federal and KP governments with the technical assistance needed “to ensure that the investment is meaningful.”

Credit: INP-WealthPk