Pakistan has achieved its kinnow export target for the year 2010-11 by exporting about 300,000 metric tons. An official in the Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company told APP here on Wednesday that Pakistan was the sixth largest citrus producing and exporting country in the world.
He said that citrus is grown on an area of about 199.5 thousand hectare with annual production of 2458.5 thousand metric tons. Kinnow season year 2010-11 was started in early November 2010 even at this time kinnow colour was not developed properly but its brix was at par required for most of gulf export markets.
At present, he said that more than 200 pack houses were in action with production of about 8000 metric tons per day adding that commercial exporters were supporting kinnow industry and sharing the main business risks of common processors.
He further informed that the exporters were paying some percentage in advance and pick the fruit at doorstep by paying all adding that kinnow season has entered in its last leg. Meanwhile, he said that kinnow is being exported in all destinations and permission for kinnow import in Iran at a meagre 4 percent duty was a great opportunity for Pakistani exporters and they availed it fully by sending huge consignments to Iran through Quetta.
In new emerging markets Philippine and Kuwait is consuming good volume of kinnow from Kuwaiti most of fruit is being forwarded to Iraq. Although there were some issues in Russian markets because comparatively less production of small grade but good crop condition revealed to accomplish the required volume. All the inputs were easily available in required demand, but he said that in start of season, there were some issues regarding labour availability because of floods in the country but local labour replaced it timely. He said that final statistics would be announced by Federal Bureau of Statistic and it is expected that final figures of kinnow export may cross the 300,000 metric tons mark.