In a first, Sindh takes part in UAE date expo

Seeks to promote Pakistan fruit market, secure export orders.

KARACHI: Sindh is going to participate in international market to show its date production potential in the “Emirates International Date Palm Festival 2012” scheduled to be held from November 26 to December 1 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, United Arab Emirates, said Sindh Board of Investment (SBI) Chairman Zubair Motiwala while talking to media on Monday.

He said that the event will comprise exhibition, seminars and workshops where a large number of date suppliers, growers and companies dealing with date processing will gather to share ideas and cooperate with each other.

Furthermore, Motiwala said that date was among the largest commercial fruit produced by Sindh. The province contributed around 50% of total dates production in Pakistan of which Khairpur has a share of around 90% in the province.



The SBI had established a pavilion at the event, where representatives from Pakistan are provided an opportunity to showcase Sindh’s dates at the festival. “The objective behind participation is to promote Pakistani dates and attract importers,” he added.

Motiwala went on to say that the event will definitely bolster Pakistan’s fruit, specifically dates, market in the UAE. He added that growers, participating in the event, will interact with international players in the business.

“Pakistani growers and traders will also witness international marketing and packaging techniques. The event will also provide an opportunity to meet machinery manufacturers and witness actual production process of value-added products,” Motiwala said, adding that the exhibition will also help participants to understand dynamics of international trade of dates, its international value and potential in terms of exports. “During the event we can also get many orders to export the fruit,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2012.