Vegetable association demands protection for local tomatoes

The PFVA has demanded of the government to increase the RD on Chinese tomato paste from 20 per cent to 40 per cent

KARACHI:

The Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association has urged the federal government to increase the regulatory duty on tomato paste imported from China by 100 per cent to protect local farmers.

The PFVA has demanded of the government to increase the regulatory duty (RD) on Chinese tomato paste from 20 per cent to 40 per cent, which is an increase of 100 per cent. This move has been proposed to protect local farmers, effectively utilize agricultural produce, and promote investment in the food processing industry.

According to the association's head, Waheed Ahmed, one of the major reasons for the decline in the consumption of domestically grown tomatoes is that most manufacturers import tomato paste from China. As a result, local farmers are not getting sufficient benefits and the agriculture sector is suffering.

The PFVA has suggested to the government to increase the regulatory duty on tomato paste from 20% to 40%. Currently, imported tomato paste is subject to 20% customs duty and 20% regulatory duty, but despite this, the prices of Chinese tomato paste are lower than those of locally produced tomato paste, which is harming the country's agriculture.