Due to good mango and grape crops the country''s fruit exports increased to $19.653 million during July-August 2007 as compared to $16.319 million of corresponding period of last year, depicting an increase of $3.334 million, or 11.30 percent.
"This year, we had good crops of all exportable fruit items like mango, grapes, kinnow etc," exporters told Business Recorder on Saturday. During the period under review, Pakistan exported 50,596 tons fruits against 45,460 tons in July-August 2006, marking an increase of 5,136 tons, they added.
On monthly basis, however, there was a decline of 24.65 percent, or 7,114 tons worth $2.831 million, in fruit exports at 21,741tons in August this year as compared to July when the exports amounted to 28,855 tons worth $11.242 million.
The upward trend in fruit exports is expected to continue due to good mango and grape crops, exporters said. "This year, the country''s grape production was around 40,000 tons, but so far we have exported around 1200 tons grapes to Bangladesh to earn Rs 5 million", they said. Mango exports rose to 0.135 million tons, exceeded the target of 0.125 tons, while good results were also likely in kinnow exports in view of a bumper crop.
"Last year we exported 88,000 tons mangoes and around 0.2 million tons kinnows up to June 2006 but this year we expect substantial increase due to bumper crops of mango, kinnow and dates", they added. They, however, expressed grave concern over the ban by Russia on Pakistan''s agricultural imports.
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