Agriculture remains the largest sector of the Pakistan economy contributing 22 per cent to the GDP and employing 44.8 per cent of the total labour force. About 65.9 per cent of the country's population live in rural areas and is directly or indirectly linked with agriculture for its livelihood.
Pakistan is blessed with a diverse climate, fertile land and one of the best canal irrigation systems in the world. Large varieties of crops are cultivated throughout the year, including wheat, cotton, rice and sugarcane, which account for 91 per cent of the value added in major crops.
Minor crops like oil seeds, pulses, fruits and vegetables account for 12.3 per cent of the value-added agriculture, which grew 1.6 per cent in 2005-06 as against a growth rate of 3 per cent last year. Agro-climatic conditions of Pakistan, ranging from tropical to temperate, allow growth of 40 different kinds of vegetables and 21 types of fruit.
Major vegetables include potato, onion, chilli, melons, cucurbits, tomato, turnip, okra and pea, whereas citrus, dates, mango, guava, apple, banana, apricot, grapes, almonds, peach, plum and pomegranate are the main fruit crops. Area and production increased in the past but at a very low pace. The major factor limiting the increase I area and production were high investment and low return to the growers. Post-harvest losses in fruits and vegetables range from 25 to 40 percent.
These losses bring low return to growers, processors and traders. The country also suffers in terms of foreign exchange earnings. In fruits and vegetables, the quality of produce starts deteriorating right after their harvest. Primary factors responsible for post harvest produce losses include poor pre-harvest measures, adoption of obsolete production techniques resulting in low shelf life, imbalanced use of nutrients, insect pest and disease infestation and abiotic stresses.
Harvesting at improper stage, non-protection of field heat besides moisture and improper method of storage are causing quality deterioration. However, from 1990-91 to 2005-06, production of certain fruits increased.
Citrus increased from 1.6 to 2.3 million tons, mango from 0.8 to 1.9 million tons and apple from 243 thousand to 375 thousand tons. Apricot production increased from 81 to 220 thousand tons, grapes from 33 thousand to 50 thousand tons and guava from 355 thousand to 593 thousand tons. Banana production decreased from 202 thousand to 151 thousand tons and almond from 32 thousand to 23 thousand tons.
During the same 16 year period, exports of fruits increased form 112 thousand tons to 262 thousand tons. In value terms, it increased from Rs 935 million to Rs 5,394 million.
Rise in quantity of export by 134 per cent only was witnessed, showing an increase of 8.4 per cent per annum that indicated lack of aggressive marketing. But in value terms it increased by 477 per cent or 30 per cent annum. Pakistan's fruit exports further increased from Rs 4,202 million to Rs 5,394 million in 2005-06. The area under fruit cultivation increased in 2005-06 by 22 percent and production by 20.1 percent. The area under vegetable cultivation has increased by 19.2 percent while production registered a rise of 12.7 percent.
Citrus is grown in varying quantities in countries with a tropical or sub-tropical climate. In Pakistan also, citrus fruits are the most important fruit crops grown on an area of 160,000 hectares, with production of 1.5 million metric tons annually. Citrus fruit is grown in all four provinces of Pakistan but Punjab produces over 95 per cent of the crop because of favourable climatic conditions and adequate water supply.
Exports of fruits, vegetables, jams and juices earned foreign exchange of Rs 9,929 million last year, showing an increase of 53 per cent over the previous year.
In the changing scenario, under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in which Pakistan may not lose international markets, it has been decided that the Euro system of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) be introduced by adopting Euro GAP certification that will enable the country to upgrade its fruit farming system according to international standards. It is feared that Pakistan would lose international markets for its agricultural products, vegetables and fruits, particularly citrus fruits, due to its inability to comply with International Plant Protection Convention standards and the sanitary and phytosanitary regulations of the WTO. Presently, Pakistan's $40 million citrus market is in danger on these counts.
In this regard, the Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board (PHDEB) started working on a three-year project to introduce the system of GAP.
According to official documents, Euro GAP certification is required by a considerable number of retailers, especially supermarkets and chain stores. This may be a threat for farmers, as non-compliance with Euro GAP standards may lead to exclusion from certain export markets. The process to have Euro GAP certification take three years but after one year, produce marketing organisations (PMOs) can get provisional certificates to enter the European markets.
The major reason behind the negligible exports to the European countries is the imposition of their quality standard, Euro GAP, as one cannot export to these countries until and unless the whole marketing chain of the produce has successfully passed through the process of Euro GAP certification.
The global horticulture sector requires pre-and-post harvest high quality products assurance. This situation has compelled many developing countries to modify and adopt food production for quality assurance systems such as Euro GAP, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point. It is to be recalled that $5 billion annual export market for wheat in the US was in jeopardy in 1996-97 due to misidentification of a smut fungus. Moreover, nearly 50 per cent of less developed nations have been prohibited from exporting fruits and vegetables to the EU during 1997-2000. Thus, the introduction of good agricultural practices in citrus (Kinno) orchards using the proven approach of Farmer Field School and to obtain Euro GAP certification to satisfy international buyers is the only way for Pakistani exports to retain their markets.
The PHEDB hopes that the three year Euro GAP project is likely to benefit the production and marketing systems, including farmers, farm labour, contractors, transporters, exporters, importers and consumers.
The preservation and processing of vegetables and fruits both at semi-commercial and commercial scale need to be carried out. This would ensure optimum return to growers and traders. Better produce handling and management would ensure regular market supply and the domestic consumers will enjoy affordable prices, besides it would also help promoting export of high value perishable commodities to the world market.
-Courtesy HortiMag.
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