50% of dates wasted due to lack of technology: report

Poor processing and packaging facilities resulting in export at throwaway prices.

KARACHI:

Annual production of dates in Pakistan is estimated at around 535,000 tons, of which approximately 50 per cent is wasted due to lack of proper processing technology and only 10 per cent of the produce is exported.

A report compiled by Harvest Tradings Pakistan informed that out of 300 varieties of dates produced in Pakistan, Begam Jangi of Balochistan, Aseel of Sindh and Dhakki of Dera Ismail Khan were the much sought after the world over due to their exotic taste.

However, due to the lack of processing and packaging facilities that could match international standards, these highly valuable varieties do not fetch their real worth in the export market.

CEO of the firm, Ahmad Jawad, informed that Pakistan earned around $28 million per annum through date exports, while the potential existed for $200-240 million every year due to high demand in European and Asian countries.

“Due to a dearth of processing and packaging facilities, dates are being exported at throwaway prices. Additionally, big importers like Germany, Denmark and UAE are re-exporting Pakistani dates after quality enhancement and preparation of by-products, at rates four to six times higher than their import prices,” he said.

Jawad also suggested that since dates were perishable in nature, processing facilities should be provided to all local farms to tap the full potential of the crop.

“Date palm needs immediate attention from producers, exporters, government and public and private creditors as the production and export ratio of date palm shows a declining pattern over the longer period,” he stated.

The government needed to build production, processing, quality enhancement, preservation, research and marketing facilities to save this potential source of foreign exchange, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2011.