There are 11 agro-climatic zones in Pakistan where different varieties of fruits, vegetables and flowers could be cultivated to earn precious foreign exchange, suggested Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Vice President Shaikh Sultan Rehman.
Speaking at a session titled “Horticulture Sector in Pakistan: Potentials and Impediments” on Friday, he emphasised the need for value addition in the horticulture sector, citing it had a massive potential for enhancing exports.
He added that edibles such as citrus, mango, potato, peach and cherry from Pakistan were highly recognised and demanded in the international market.
“Unfortunately, this sector remains largely ignored in Pakistan, as a result of which the production of key fruits and vegetables is on the wane,” he said. “Pakistan is still using old and traditional methods of harvesting, which result in low yield per acre compared to other countries.”
The FPCCI vice president added that Pakistan had the potential to lift exports as well as domestic consumption by investing in research and technology.
Quoting facts and figures from a research conducted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), he said per capita consumption of vegetables and fruits was quite low in Pakistan compared to the US and European countries, which affected the human capital as well as productivity.
The FPCCI official highlighted the issues pertaining to post-harvest losses and a lack of cold storage capacity and warehouses.
Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company’s former chairman Saadat Ejaz Qureshi underscored the need for freight subsidy and appreciated the government for increasing customs duty on the import of fruits to protect domestic industries.
He asked the government to improve farm conditions by transferring the management to professionals.
PMAS Arid Agriculture University’s Horticulture Department Chairman Ishfaq Ahmed highlighted different areas of Pakistan where opportunities were available for the production of fruits such as olives and grapes.
Also speaking on the occasion, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) National Coordinator Horticulture Dr Hafeezur Rehman emphasised the potential of harvesting off season crops in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
He streesed reduction in post-harvest losses, identification of new markets, technological advancement and consistency of supply.
Horticulture Society of Pakistan Chairman Fahim Siddiqui emphasised on the promotion of floriculture in Pakistan citing huge potential as Pakistan spends millions of dollars in importing flowers.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 4th, 2020.
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