ISLAMABAD: Patron in Chief of Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA) Waheed Ahmed has urged the government to help it in opening up market of Iran for its exports of Kinnow and other fruits.
Talking to APP, he said Pakistani traders had been facing problems in exporting fruits and vegetables to Iran. “If Iran issues us import permit, we have an Iranian market of 70,000 to 80,000 tonnes. The government should help us in opening the Iranian market as the fruit and vegetables are coming from Iran but not being exported from Pakistan. “
“We are facing an issue regarding exports to Iran for the last seven years as Iran is not issuing the import permits.” Waheed said Pakistani exporters broke the record in 2017-18 by exporting 370,000 tonnes of Kinnow and earned foreign exchange of US $ 220 million.
He thanked Pakistan Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and Pakistan Horticultural Development and Export Corporation for playing a vital role in securing subsidy of $250 for its exports from Export Development Fund (EDF) particularly for Russia.
Due to the subsidy, the Kinnow exports to Russia increased by 900 containers last year, he told. He thanked the Ministry of Commerce as because of its efforts Indonesia abolished quota for Pakistan and relaxed exports of Kinnow.
In the past, he said export of Kinnow to Indonesia could not be made in December and January due to delay in release of import permit by the Indonesian government.
“The end of quota by Indonesia, increased our exports by 80 percent.” He said, “We have to focus on research and development and encourage farmers to adopt good agricultural practices. We have to work on new varieties and develop new area and we can expand this sector to a large extent.”
This year since December, Pakistan had exported 125,000 tonnes of kinnow at the rate of $500 per tonne against its target of 350,000 tonnes for the ongoing season which would end in March/April. According to Waheed Ahmed, this year’s target of kinnow export would be achieved if the weather remained favourable and transport operation went on smoothly. The major export destinations for Pakistani Kinnow were Russia, the Philippines, Indonesia and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
PFVA had been in touch with Ministry of National Food Security and Research and sent it suggestions for raising production and quality of fruits and vegetables that would create jobs and help in boosting economy on sustainable basis. Production of Kinnow this year was estimated to touch the figure of two million tonnes, however, the export target had been reduced.
Production of Kinnow during the current year was expected to be around two million metric tonnes, however, due to limited availability of good quality exportable Kinnow, the export target had been curtailed by 50,000 tonnes. Pakistan exporters of Kinnow were in tough competition with leading exporters of citrus fruits including Turkey and Morocco.
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