KARACHI: PHDEC conducted a webinar on the topic of “Harvest and Post-Harvest Management of Dates.” The aim of the webinar was to bring the maximum of the stakeholders on board to discuss harvesting, post-harvest handling of dates to minimize the post-harvest losses, and availability of premium quality dates in domestic and international high-end-market.

Target audiences of the webinar were processors, progressive growers, R&D and private companies. Growers were mainly from Sindh and Balochistan.

Pakistan is 5th largest date fruit producing country with 532-thousand-ton annual production and Pakistan has 102 thousand hectares of dates cultivated area which leaves room for value-added products of dates.

Zulqarnain Zaka, Assistant Manager PHDEC, welcomed the participants and explained that PHDEC started the series of webinar on major horticulture products of Pakistan. He added that PHDEC has been emphasizing now on product development under its mandate.

Khawar Nadeem, Manger Agri-Products PHDEC, gave the opening remarks and briefed about the mandate and scope of PHDEC. After introduction, he welcomed all participants of webinar (growers, processors, exporters and academic circles) and extended the thanks for attending the webinar.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023