The Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board (PHDEB) and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) will jointly form a company within one month to handle the affairs of the irradiation plant being set up at Lahore.
This will be the second irradiation plant being set up in Lahore after Pakistan Radiation Services working for the sterilisation of medical disposal products and pharmaceuticals since 1967.
The Lahore Irradiation Plant Project was approved by the Export Development Funds board early this month.
Talking to APP here on Monday, PHDEB Chief Executive Officer Shamoon Sadiq said that PAEC would contribute its equity in the form of lend and building while PHDEB was going to contribute in the form of plant and machinery and construction of a cold storage with the assistance of the Export Development Fund (EDF).
He said the proposed company would have board of directors consisting of representatives from the PHDEB and the PAEC.
He said irradiation, a process of exposing food to radiant energy for a specific length of time, is at present allowed in about 40 countries. Some 81 food irradiators are operating in 32 countries, including 19 units in USA and 17 in China.
More than 100 fruits and related-items are now approved for food irradiation world wide.
"The establishment of the plant will greatly boost Pakistani agricultural stuff exports especially fruits and vegetables by making the commodities compatible to the phytosanitory requirement of many countries included under WTO agreement", said Shamoon Sadiq said.
Major applications of irradiation are delay in ripening of fresh fruits, dried fruits and nuts, disinfection of cereals, fresh fruits, vegetables, tobacco, spices, herbs, poultry and pulses, inhibition of sprouting of potatoes and onions in addition of shelf life extension of the agricultural stuff.