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Pakistani fruit export rises 48 percent

KARACHI: The export of kino to Iran and Afghainstan and potato to Malaysia and Sri Lanka has registered 48 percent increase during three months of 2005. While retail prices of onion, ginger and garlic despite their imports has been remained high side.

Mateen Siddiqui, chairman Fruit and Vegetable Exporters and Processors Association (FVEPA) has said on Saturday the exporter’s body is ready to prepare a short term and a long term plan to enhance export of potato and kino in case it is in surplus and government to fulfill certain demands of the body in this regard.

Mr Siddiqui said the non-traditional export of the commodities would cater national exchequer, foreign exchange to billion of rupees per year if Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) and federal commerce ministry extend cooperation to the FVEPA. He said these commodities would fetch better perineum price if concern government departments show willingness to provide this low added valuation sector an appropriate support for exports.

He attributed the high price of onion to the damaged crop in Sindh due to rains and non-expertise of farmers and growers using pesticides. He said despite import from India around 600 tons during this period the price is still high to Rs 24 per kg. He said import from India may continue till the end of April when new crop from Balochistan around 275 lakh ton will reach to Punjab and Sindh resulting decline in the retail price to almost half to the present price.

Mr Siddiqui said the association is hopeful of more export of these commodities than the exports made during 2004, which stood 49,579 ton worth Rs 372 million for onion and 56,642 ton worth Rs 349 million for potato respectively.

He said we should learn from Australian technology, which produces onion of quality only due to research and facilities to their stakeholders. He said Australians onion with three scalps provides longer shelf life compare to commodity of ours. He said export of potato could be increased manifold if some elements in the sector give up the tendency of claiming 25 percent freight subsidy on export, as the government provides subsidy on export less than $ 10 million export.

He said Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Abu Dhabi, UAE and Afghanistan are among major importers of our commodities while we are trying widening the exports to other countries, which are small importers of our products. Punjab is the major producing province of potato and Sindh is producing 90 percent of onion while Balochistan province is contributing the remaining. He said the government should spend out of Export Development Fund (EDF) for setting up research centers one each in Punjab and Sindh for doing research to evaluate the quality of produce, water contents, shelf life, size etc in order to compete the world competition.

He said manpower-training, provision of latest knowledge to the growers and even handed policy of government in providing agriculture loans to genuine growers will greatly help in enhancing per acre yield of these commodities. staff report

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