Manitoba and Pakistan can convert post-COVID momentum into durable partnerships – linking pulses and plant protein, farm machinery, critical minerals, power-sector services, logistics and research – so both economies create jobs, de-risk supply chains and scale innovation together.
Key points
- Food-security fit: Pakistan imported US$132.9M of dried peas in 2023; Canada supplied US$47.4M – a channel Manitoba can scale given its fast-growing pea sector and world-leading processing capacity. World Integrated Trade Solution
- Plant-protein hub: Roquette’s Portage la Prairie facility – the world’s largest pea-protein plant – anchors Manitoba as a premium ingredient supplier for South Asian food brands. Roquette+1
- Made-in-Manitoba machinery: Winnipeg-based Versatile manufactures tractors and tillage equipment that align with Pakistan’s mechanization push. versatile-ag.com+1
- Power expertise with Pakistan experience: Manitoba Hydro International has delivered technical assistance on Pakistan hydro projects – an on-ramp for grid, hydro and renewables services. mhi.ca
- Logistics advantage: CentrePort Canada (Winnipeg) – North America’s largest tri-modal inland port – links Prairie production to Asia via three Class-1 railroads to Vancouver/Prince Rupert. CentrePort Canada+1
- Minerals runway: Manitoba’s Critical Minerals strategy (30 of Canada’s 34 on the list) opens space for services, offtake and processing links with Pakistan’s mining pipeline. Government of Manitoba+1
- Research bridge: The University of Manitoba runs active health and development collaborations in Pakistan, recently supported by a Gates Foundation grant. news.umanitoba.ca+1
Why Manitoba–Pakistan and why now?
Pakistan (240M people) needs dependable calories, affordable inputs, resilient power and practical digital solutions. Manitoba’s economy delivers exactly that – pulses and plant-protein, oilseeds and grains, farm machinery and specialized engineering – with a logistics backbone that reliably reaches Asian markets. Post-COVID trade patterns show strong pea demand: Pakistan imported US$132.9M of dried peas in 2023, of which US$47.4M came from Canada – a lane Manitoba can expand given its rising pea output and processing scale. World Integrated Trade Solution
Manitoba’s pea sector is ramping: provincial data show pea farm cash receipts rose 60.5% (2020→2024); 2025 production ~258,000 tonnes (second-highest on record); and $35.6M in pea exports in 2024. Crucially, Roquette’s Portage la Prairie plant –the world’s largest pea-protein facility – converts Prairie peas into value-added ingredients demanded by South Asian food brands. Government of Manitoba+1
Food & ingredients: from bulk pulses to branded nutrition
What’s changed since COVID? Pakistan’s urban consumers are trading up for safety-assured staples and convenient nutrition. Manitoba can move beyond bulk peas into fortified pulses, RTE meals and pea-protein ingredients for Pakistan’s retail and Hotels, Restaurants, and Cafes (HORECA) channels – priced via long-term supply agreements and co-packing in Pakistan to cut landed costs. The Portage plant’s scale and quality regime (designed for >100–125k tonnes of peas annually) support consistent specs for Pakistani manufacturers. Roquette+1
Policy enablers: Manitoba’s agriculture programs support market development and export readiness for food companies – useful for SMEs pairing with Pakistani distributors. Government of Manitoba
Farm machinery & on-farm productivity
Pakistan’s yield gap is partly a mechanization gap. Versatile (Winnipeg) manufactures tractors from 175–620 hp and tillage lines suited to Pakistan’s large farms and custom-hire markets. For investors, a services-first approach – spare parts hubs, operator training, seasonal leasing – lowers capex risk while building brand loyalty. versatile-ag.com+1
Power, water & grids: exportable services (with Pakistan track record)
Grid losses and seasonal hydrology constrain Pakistan’s growth. Manitoba Hydro International (MHI) has worked in Pakistan on hydro feasibility and advisory – showing the province’s institutional experience in the market. That credibility can extend to grid analytics, loss-reduction programs, hydro rehabilitation and utility training, delivered with local engineering partners. mhi.ca
Critical minerals & industrial inputs
Manitoba is home to 30 of Canada’s 34 listed critical minerals (including nickel, lithium, copper, zinc) and is implementing a Securing Our Critical Mineral Future strategy to accelerate projects. Ties with Pakistan’s mining value chain can start with ESG and geoscience services, lab testing and training, then evolve into offtake/toll-processing where sensible. This services-first path spreads risk while building durable capacity. Government of Manitoba+1
Logistics: the inland port that thinks like a seaport
Located in Winnipeg, CentrePort Canada is North America’s largest tri-modal inland port and FTZ, served by CPKC, CN and BNSF, with direct corridors to Port of Vancouver and Port of Prince Rupert. For Pakistan-linked cargo (pulses, ingredients, machinery), this means reliable, multi-route connectivity and competitive freight options – critical during global shipping volatility. CentrePort Canada+1
Research, talent & people-to-people links
The University of Manitoba (UM) sustains long-running collaborations in Pakistan through its Institute for Global Public Health – most recently backed by the Gates Foundation for work in family planning. These channels can be extended into food safety, water management and digital health, turning academic relationships into commercial pilots and co-ops that de-risk entry for Manitoba and Pakistani SMEs. news.umanitoba.ca+1
Data tables (signals & action)
Table — Manitoba strengths mapped to Pakistan demand
|
Manitoba strength |
Pakistan demand |
Entry vehicle |
|
Plant protein & pulses |
Affordable, quality-assured staples; branded nutrition |
LT supply deals; Pakistan co-packing; RTE/fortified lines. Government of Manitoba+1 |
|
Farm machinery (Versatile) |
Mechanization, higher field efficiency |
Parts hubs, training, seasonal leasing; distributor JVs. versatile-ag.com |
|
Power sector services (MHI) |
Hydro rehab, grid loss reduction |
Utility analytics, hydro feasibility, training programs. mhi.ca |
|
Critical minerals |
Responsible mining, processing know-how |
ESG services, lab/testing; offtake/toll-processing pilots. Government of Manitoba |
|
Logistics (CentrePort) |
Reliable export/import corridors |
Rail-first routings to Vancouver/Prince Rupert; FTZ advantages. CentrePort Canada+1 |
|
Academic bridge (UM) |
Evidence-based health & development |
Co-ops, micro-credentials; pilots that become SMEs. news.umanitoba.ca |
What each audience can do next
- Policymakers: Launch a Manitoba–Pakistan Food & Power Working Group (semi-annual) to align SPS/customs, FX windows and grid project pipelines; track KPIs using Manitoba’s quarterly trade bulletins. Government of Manitoba
- Investors: Prioritize cap-light entries – ingredient supply contracts tied to Roquette specs, Versatile distribution/service JVs and MHI-style grid/hydro services with performance guarantees. Roquette+2versatile-ag.com+2
- Academics: Expand UM–Pakistan collaborations into food safety analytics, water efficiency and digital health; build co-ops that place Pakistani students in Manitoba firms (and vice-versa). news.umanitoba.ca
- General public & diaspora: Promote Manitoba brands in Pakistan (and Pakistani brands in Winnipeg) and sponsor internships that shuttle talent both ways through CentrePort-connected firms. CentrePort Canada
Conclusion
Pakistan’s structural needs – reliable pulses and ingredients, affordable mechanization, resilient power and responsible minerals – match Manitoba’s strengths in plant protein, farm machinery, hydro/grid services and logistics. With Roquette providing world-scale processing, Versatile ready for mechanization partnerships, MHI bringing sector expertise, CentrePort enabling predictable routing and UM deepening research ties, this is a corridor that can move quickly from pilots to bankable deals. The formula: start services-first, co-pack locally, certify early and let universities and diaspora de-risk entry. Done well, the Heartland-to-Indus link will create jobs and resilient supply chains in both economies. CentrePort Canada+3Roquette+3versatile-ag.com+3
* Dr. Muhammad Jahanzaib is the Founder & Chief Visionary Officer (CVO) of Diamanium Thinkers, a global think tank. He holds a PhD in International Relations, specializing in the intersection of politics and economics in Pakistan’s foreign and domestic policy. A double gold medalist and published scholar, he writes on economic intelligence, economic diplomacy, political economy, AI and regional cooperation in South Asia and beyond. He can be reached at jahanzaibdgc@gmail.com.
Key references
- Pakistan Dried Peas Imports by Country (2023) – WITS/UN Comtrade — https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/PAK/year/2023/tradeflow/Imports/partner/ALL/product/071310
- Dry Peas – Sector Profile (2025) – Manitoba Agriculture — https://www.manitoba.ca/agriculture/markets-and-statistics/crop-statistics/pubs/dry-pea-profile-2025.pdf
- Roquette Opens World’s Largest Pea-Protein Plant (Portage la Prairie) — https://www.roquette.com/media-center/press-center/2021-11-17-roquette-opening-world-largest-pea-protein-plant
- CentrePort Canada – About & Rail Park — https://centreportcanada.ca/about-centreport/ ; https://centreportcanadarailpark.com
- Versatile (Buhler Industries) – About & Product Range — https://www.versatile-ag.com ; https://www.versatile-ag.com/na/pages/news/2025-07-28.php
- Manitoba Hydro International – Projects (Pakistan) — https://www.mhi.ca/about/projects
- Securing Our Critical Mineral Future – Government of Manitoba — https://www.gov.mb.ca/iem/explore/files/criticalmineralfuture.pdf
- Manitoba Trade Update (Q4 2024) – Manitoba Bureau of Statistics — https://www.gov.mb.ca/mbs/publications/mbs302_imt_2024_q4.pdf
- Market Development – Manitoba Agriculture (export readiness) — https://www.gov.mb.ca/scap/marketdevelopment/index.html
- UM News: Gates Foundation Funding (Pakistan & Africa) — https://news.umanitoba.ca/um-receives-funding-from-the-gates-foundation-for-transformative-family-planning-research-in-africa-and-pakistan/