The apple growers of the scenic Swat Valley and troubled South Waziristan Agency have demanded of the government to provide facilities to them for the promotion of export of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Talking to Business Recorder on the concluding day of the three-day sixth Apple Show here on Wednesday, Swat Apple Growers Association President Salahuddin and Haji Saeedullah Khan of the Progressive Apple Growers Association, Tehsil Matta, Swat demanded subsidy in PIA fares, establishment of cold storage and cool transportation channels to promote export of fruits and vegetables.
They said that although the commodity is less potential, it could easily be overcome through granting subsidy in the transportation expenses.
They said that besides apple, the area also produce modern quality of peach. But, he said, it could not be utilised, as due to the short span of life the price of the item is nominal.
"The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) has announced the establishment of an Apple Treatment Plant six years back, but they have yet to acquire the land. The process of the land acquisition should be accelerated," Salahuddin said.
He said that besides export the demand of the commodity in the local market is also high. However, for export, he called for reduction in the transportation charges.
Appreciating the efforts of the EPB for the promotion of export, he said that he had displayed apple produced in Swat in Bangladesh, Qatar and Kuwait. He said that the Middle East and Nepal are good markets for Pakistani fruits and vegetables.
He said that as Nepal has attraction for tourists only in summer, therefore, the government should transport their product in winter as majority of the seats in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) go vacant.
Progressive Apple Growers Association representative Haji Saeedullah Khan said that more than 70,000 tonnes of apple produced only in district Swat. However, he said that the commodity worth millions of rupees become rotten due to lack of facilities.
He called for the establishment of cold storage at airports to prevent the loss. He said that 2 percent to 10 percent fruit go waste due to poor standard of roads.
Salaam Khan Yargulkhel Wazir, an apple grower from the troubled headquarters of the South Waziristan Agency, who thanked the agricultural department for his participation in the show, recalled the golden days when the farmers of that bordering area with Afghanistan were earning handsome amount from the apple trade.
He said that like Swat, South Waziristan is also providing a natural environment for the production of apple and other fruits and vegetables.
However, he said that due to the ongoing military operation and economic sanctions tonnes of apple has rotten in orchards. He said that the growers of the area have used to transport 250 trucks loaded with apple daily to different parts of the country. But, this time all of their production has rotten inside their orchards.
Salaam said that before the launching of the current operation last year, the growers of the Waziristan were living a happy life and were used to earn Rs 0.1 million in transportation to the market only from trucks. But, this year, he said that they are even spending on the packing and looking for shifting of the commodity to clear their orchards from the dirty smell of the rotten apples.
He said that the cost of production in South Waziristan is very high as they are irrigating their orchards on diesel tube-well machines, which is too high.
He said that due to high production cost and other agricultural productions like vegetables, peach and grapes are also on decline resulting in the wastage of millions of rupees. However, he was confident that the Jirgas would help in improving the prevailing situation.
The growers from Waziristan demanded of the government to resolve the problem of the low power voltage in their area, which would resolve majority of their problems.