Pakistan aims to export 300,000 tonnes of oranges after record harvest

Shrinking orchards, outdated varieties continue to hold back citrus potential

Pakistan has kicked off kinnow exports for the ongoing season, with the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA) setting a target of 300,000 tonnes, expected to fetch $110 million in foreign exchange.

Since December 1, exporters have already shipped around 6,000 tonnes to the Middle East, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

Last year, Pakistan exported 250,000 tonnes, earning $95 million. Despite this season’s bumper output — projected at 2.7 million tonnes, up from 1.7 million tonnes — exports remain nearly 50% below the 550,000 tonnes shipped five years ago.

PFVA Patron-in-Chief Waheed Ahmed attributed the decline to “zero investment in R&D” and the failure to introduce new, climate-resilient citrus varieties. The association has submitted short-, medium- and long-term plans to the government, which Ahmed said could lift citrus exports to $400 million within five years if implemented.

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He added that Pakistan must begin cultivating new varieties sourced from Egypt, the US, Morocco and China, along with low-water citrus types — lemon, grapefruit, orange and mandarin — that enjoy strong global demand.

Pakistan’s broader citrus sector has long struggled with similar pressures. In Dir Upper and Lower, once home to prized honey-flavoured oranges known as “nature’s candy,” orchards have steadily given way to shopping plazas as rising population and land prices squeeze growers out. Dir’s famed oranges now survive on barely 300 acres, with traders often selling Punjab-grown fruit under the Rabat label to meet local demand.

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Agriculture officials say the organically grown Dir oranges — cultivated without pesticides or urea — showcase both Pakistan’s exceptional citrus potential and the consequences of neglecting scientific farming.

Ahmed warned that logistics remain a major obstacle to kinnow exports. With Afghanistan trade suspended, overland access to Central Asia and Russia has stalled, forcing exporters to use longer, costlier routes through Iran, where freight charges have already doubled at the start of the season.

He urged the government to adopt a national citrus strategy, boost R&D, and accelerate the shift to modern irrigation systems as water shortages intensify.