Kinnow

Pakistan ships 460,000 tons of citrus fruit abroad in 2020-21, 30% higher than last year

Exporters unable to send containers to port due to lack of transport vehicles

Reduces cess rate to Rs30 per kg from Rs160 per kg

Owing to quality issues, country cannot fully benefit from increased demand

Around 21 firms in Pakistan qualified to process citrus for export to Beijing

Lack of guidelines by agriculture dept and diseases contribute to falling output in hub of mandarin

Sargodha has been producing over 2 million tonnes annually

Based on its taste, juice, size, Sargodha’s kinnow are regarded best in the world

Fruits transported from foreign countries were the main cause of spreading diseases at local level

Exporters set lower target due to stiff competition in global market