The temporary Russian ban on Pakistani fruits and vegetables has caused a substantial loss to fresh fruit exports. PHOTO: FILE
“Kinnow exports have showed a rapid increase over the last year,” said Waheed Ahmed, spokesman for the All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchant Association (PFVA), on Friday.
“After meeting the export target, it is expected that the country would export an additional 15,000 to 20,000 tons by the end of April 2014.”
According to Ahmed, Pakistan has exported over 305,000 tons, worth $180 million, so far despite the fact that almost 50% of the crop was badly affected by climate changes in the country.
The production of kinnow was at least 2,100,000 tons this year.
“The Iranian market remained completely closed for the country’s fruits causing a loss of over 80,000 tons worth of exports this year,” said Ahmed.
“However, on the bright side, the country has exported 40,500 tons to Indonesia, up 15% compared to last year following the long-awaited Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) signed by the two countries.”
The temporary Russian ban on Pakistani fruits and vegetables has also caused a substantial loss to fresh fruit exports. The country succeeded in exporting only 62,000 tons to Russia against a target of 73,000.
According to Ahmed, the current fruit exports, which are in the hundreds of millions of dollars, could easily touch the billion-dollar mark if facilities, as well as the environment, needed for research and development are created in the country.
In top world markets, Pakistani kinnow has to compete with seedless mandarin and clementine from countries like Spain, Morocco, Argentina and South Africa.
“Besides, the ‘early’ and ‘late’ varieties of kinnow successfully introduced by some competitors should be introduced on a larger scale to prolong the season and availability of quality fruits,” said Ahmed.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2014.
Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.
COMMENTS (8)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
The only reason I wish and hope for Kinnows to be seedless is due to the citric fruit including all kinds available here in California are so irresistable and tasty that reminds me of Pakistani Kinnows. Those are all seedless. If those seedless can be so tasty than why can't be Kinnows. Imagine what a treat it would be to have Kinnow seedless. Besides, you need to be competitive in business to capture international market.
@israr:
Do note that all the tinkering with the hybridization to produce seedless, yield and other superficial improvements have been at the cost of loss of original taste and flavor qualities of the old heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables.
I wish and hope some day Pakistani Kinnow would be made available as seedless.This is doable through employing the available technology. The same goes for the oranges as well.