Export orders diverted to India due to transporters’ strike

Published: December 13, 2012 

 

KARACHI: Pakistan is losing export orders of fruits and vegetables worth millions of dollars everyday due to the goods transporters’ strike, said an office-bearer of All Pakistan Fruits and Vegetables Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association.

 

He added that importers have started diverting their orders from Pakistan to India.

 

“Sri Lanka has diverted its import order of potatoes worth $2 million from Pakistan to India after the goods transporters continued their indefinite strike in the country,” said Waheed Ahmed, chairman of the association, at a press conference. “Malaysia has also issued a warning to Pakistan for diverting its onion import order to India.”

 

Wednesday was the 11th consecutive day of the strike called by goods transporters, who transport goods from factories to ports for exports. Transporters have demanded from the government to provide them with security, as truck drivers were being killed or kidnapped by culprits who later on take away their trucks full of goods to unknown destinations in the country.

 

Ahmed said that the government should either accept the demands of goods transporters to end the strike or provide security to such exporters to bring into local markets the thousands of containers parked at the Super Highway, which were full of goods.

 

“Fruits and vegetables are perishable items and their qualities have been impacted badly during the last 11 days of strike,” he said.

 

“We have to bring those trucks back into the local markets as such goods do not maintain quality, which is committed to importers.”

 

He added that the country was facing losses of about $70 million per day on account of no exports. “Pakistan has to export goods worth $2 billion every month to achieve a target of $25 billion exports this year,” he said. “The strike has resulted into suspending Pakistan’s exports of fruits and vegetables to about 40 to 42 countries across the world.”

 

Almost 1,000 containers of kinoo worth $16 million have remained in queue, which are yet to reach the ports for export. Similarly, 500 containers of onions worth $3.8 million have been parked at the Super Highway due to the strike.

 

He said that more than 250 processing factories of kinoo are on the verge of closure at Sargodha. Moreover, the cultivated crops of kinoo and onion are being wasted at orchards due to no transporting, processing and packaging.

 


http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-3-148036-Export-orders-diverted-to-India-due-to-transporters-strike