Citrus export board to churn out fresh ideas

To give a boost to production, research, value addition and exports

ISLAMABAD: In consideration of flagging exports of horticulture products, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research has established the Citrus Exports Development Board.

The establishment of the export board came in the wake of directives of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who had been requested by the growers and exporters to establish an independent export board that could concentrate on marketing in different countries to harness the potential.



The fundamental objective of the board will be to give recommendations to the government about how to increase citrus production and export, providing a comprehensive mechanism for conducting research on the fruit in collaboration with the federal and provincial research organs.

Finally, the objective of the board is to take measures to consolidate the value-addition chain in the citrus sector to augment exports.

The minister of national food security and research will be the chairman of the board and National Assembly member MNA Mohsin Ranjha will be its convenor. The board’s first meeting will be held on Tuesday at the food security ministry.

It will frame recommendations for promoting research and exports and present its findings to the premier within two months.

Talking to The Express Tribune, FPCCI Standing Committee on Horticulture Chairman Ahmad Jawad welcomed the decision in view of the huge export potential of the fruit across the globe.

“Despite receiving billions in funds, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and the Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board have failed to meet the export targets,” he said.



Jawad said Pakistan’s horticulture sector was a golden basket that could earn foreign exchange through exports, but the authorities concerned could not deliver the results despite receiving facilities through the Export Development Fund.

At present, citrus exports of Pakistan stand at about 0.3 million tons fetching $250 million per annum.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2015.

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