Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board (PHDEB) has developed a five-year strategy to enhance the exports of fruit, vegetable and flowers to the level of 500 million dollars by the year 2011-12. Pakistan's horticulture exports presently stand at 142 million dollars mark.
"To achieve this goal, we are preparing specific export maximisation strategies for each and every major fruit and vegetable grown in the country," Chairman PHDEB, Saadat Eijaz Qureshi said in an interview with APP.
He said plans were also afoot to focus on three major horticultural commodities - Peach, Potato and Onion in addition to Citrus and Mango.
About Kinnow, the PHDEB chairman said Pakistan had set a target of exporting 250,000 tonnes of this fruit. "Russia, Ukrain and Iran have emerged as the new major markets for our citrus fruit in addition to the traditional markets of Middle East and Far East," he said.
He added that the board was now focusing on Germany, Czech Republic and Poland to enter the lucrative markets of Central and Eastern Europe.
Qureshi said PHDEB had plans to enhance Pak citrus exports to the level of 300,000 tonnes by next year.
To check post harvest losses and to promote value addition in the horticulture sector, he said, the multinational companies were being encouraged to set up plants in the country for the processing of fruit and vegetable.
The preparation of mango pulp, citrus concentrate, tomato paste and potato chips could bring more foreign exchange to the country as compared to the fruits and vegetables itself.
He said PHDEB was taking care of pathological problems of the fruit and vegetable plants. In collaboration with University of Agriculture, Faisalabad and international agriculture research institutions, the issue of plant diseases and pests would be addressed, he added.
Saadat Qureshi said that awareness was being created among the farmers about the quarantine related issues especially the Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary (PSP).