Denmark to import dates from Pakistan

The Danish company will be importing around 800 tons of dates every year, carrying a total value of $650,000.

KARACHI: Castus, one of Denmark’s leading fruit snack producers, will import nutritional dates from southern Pakistan to develop healthy fruit bars for children. Castus will be importing around 800 tons of dates every year carrying a total value of $650,000.

Castus Head of Supply Carsten Jensen said “we are extremely impressed by the quality of dates and other raw material being produced in Pakistan and wish we had seen these market opportunities in the past.”

The Danish company has entered into an agreement with Pakistani supplier companies, Khairpur and Royal Food. This is the first time that Pakistan will be exporting dates to Denmark, which will create a new niche for its products on the Danish market.

“However, looking ahead, we have received great interest from many other Pakistani enterprises on supply of natural raw material for our products in Denmark. We find the Pakistani companies extremely professional and credible and we are hoping for long-term collaborations and many more business contracts with the suppliers,” he added.

Castus Head of Marketing Mette Rasmussen, while praising the role of Danish embassy in Pakistan in creating the business collaboration, said that Pakistani dates would play a key role in creating good fruit body for production and thereby add quality to the final product.

Danish Ambassador to Pakistan Uffe Wolffhechel said “this positive collaboration between a leading Danish company and Pakistani enterprises has opened up new business opportunities for Pakistani companies to enter the Danish market and will surely increase economic cooperation between the two sides.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 16^th, 2011.