Exhibitors from Pakistan participating in Fruit Logistica 2013 in Berlin have won export orders worth 2.5 million euros in the first two days of the exhibition, according to Waheed Ahmed, Chairman of the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association.
“Though the final outcome will be known after the end of the exhibition, held from February 6 to 8, the response from the buyers is very encouraging,” he said while talking to The Express Tribune from Berlin.
A couple of memoranda of understanding have also been signed with foreign companies during the fair.
A representative of International Produce, which supplies goods to a leading British store chain ASDA, expressed interest in Pakistan’s fruits and vegetables and told the exhibitors that a delegation of the store chain would travel to Pakistan in the next few months to examine processing facilities and finalise orders.
The fair is also likely to open some untapped markets, particularly of western Africa, for Pakistan’s traders as mango, kinnow and potato attracted attention of some new companies.
“More focused work and efforts are needed on the part of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and the Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) to innovate and improve presentation at the country’s pavilion and stalls,” Ahmed stressed.
According to experts, there were flaws in presentation, display and marketing of products from Pakistan, which should be avoided. Even countries having limited varieties and quantity of agricultural products were prominent in the show just because of better display and decoration, they say.
“We got a good response from French, Thai and Turkish companies in the mega show,” said a representative of Imtiaz Enterprises.
According to Jahanzeb Khan of Jahanzeb Muhammad & Co, he has received better response this year from companies of Bahrain, Kuwait, Dubai and England.
On the opening day on Wednesday, Pakistan’s Ambassador in Berlin Abdul Basit visited the country’s pavilion and stalls.
“There are opportunities to tap the lucrative international markets as over 100 countries are participating in this mega fair,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 9th, 2013.
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this is the only things which we can export. Stop export of fruit and vegetables. there prices are so high in country already