Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) has organized a first ever Date Show and Seminar in Gwadar. The objective is to provide technical awareness on Dates Sector of Balochistan to growers and to promote export of dates from Balochistan. Baluchistan produces 225,000 tons of dates from an area of 42.3 thousand hectares and contributes 53 per cent to the total national output. Production of dates is second after apples in the area. The Makran division is the largest date producing area in the country after Sukkur. In the province, the Kech district share is 59 per cent.
Around 150 growers, exporters of dates, representatives from Balochistan Dates Grower Association, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Plant Protection Department, Agriculture Research Department GOB, Agriculture Extension Department of Balochistan, Head of Rural Support Programme Turbat and Chairman GPA attended the seminar. Gulab Jan, Chairman District Council, Gwadar was the chief guest of the Seminar.
Besides, seminar, dates show was also organized in the premises of PC-Hotel. Around 10 exhibitors from different part of Balochistan exhibited more than 50 kinds of dates which included Bagam Jangi, Kaharba & Mozawati. Punjab Hillavi, Khudrawi, Zahidi, Shmran, shukkar, Dakki, Halimi etc. and Ajwa.
During the Seminar the speakers emphasized on improvement of quality of dates production in Balochistan by using latest technology and development of processing plant in the region. They further suggested that there is a huge scope on value addition of dates and our exporters will earn huge foreign exchange by exporting value added products of dates. One growers/exporter in Balochistan is already developing date syrup, date Jam and date paste.
This is the first time that such a successful dates show and seminar was held in Gwadar. The dates growers of the area particularly from Turbat and Panjgoor have been facing multiple technical problems due to lack of awareness. The Balochistan Dates Growers Association highly appreciated the efforts of TDAP in organizing awareness on value addition on dates and urged TDAP to make this event as a regular annual feature. They also suggested to organize awareness seminar in Turbat as well.
During the Seminar DG TDAP assured the growers/exporters of dates from Balochistan that TDAP will arrange for their participation in international exhibition and will send delegation of dates growers of the region to potential international markets for promotion of exports of dates. He briefed the participants about date show in Karachi and Expo Pakistan.
Chairman Gwadar Port Authority has extended full support to TDAP in opening of TDAP office in Gwadar Free Zone area and invited TDAP to become a member of the Committee/Board on organizing international exhibition event in Gwadar being held by Gawadar Port Authority.
After the event press briefing was made by Athar Jamal Abro, DG TDAP to the media of Gwadar highlighting the importance of the seminar and show and future uplifting plans for development and international marketing for products having potential such as fish and its products, minerals and metals and engineering products to be carried out by TDAP in Baluchistan.-PR
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