Use of wooden crates: foreign markets warn of imposition of strict restrictions

Major foreign markets have warned Pakistan not to use wooden crates for exporting horticulture items as they are used for exporting pesticides. According to sources, United Arab Emirates (UAE) has recently warned Pakistan of strict restrictions if export of perishable items continued in wooden crates whereas a similar warning was earlier issued by the European Union.
Dubai's Fruit & Vegetable Traders Group, Central Fruit & Vegetables Market through a letter (a copy of which is available with Business Recorder) sent to Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) has warned that Pakistan may lose the most lucrative market of fruit and vegetables if the ban on wooden crates was continued to be flouted. Sources said that Plant and Protection department of Ministry of National Food Security and Research's (MNFSR) has imposed a ban on the use of wood packaging including crates, boxes and cases, for storing fruits and vegetables intended for exports with effect from May 20, 2015.
An office-bearer of Dubai Fruit & Vegetable Traders Group, Central Fruit & Vegetables Market, Chaudhry Faisal Altaf, told media persons that the UAE importers were of the view that the TDAP and Ministry of Commerce (MoC) were not serious about their concerns over the use of wooden crates.
He regretted that although Pakistan's Ambassador Asif Durrani had urged compliance of the rules concerning wooden crates, the TDAP and MoC have not yet taken steps in this regard. "Indecisiveness on the part of MoC and the TDAP is sending a very confusing and negative message to the stakeholders in international markets, including Dubai UAE," he opined. It may be recalled here that All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Importers and Merchants Association's (PFVA) chairman Waheed Ahmed had assured that all members of his association would ensure that the ban on the usage of wooden crates was implemented in letter and spirit.