Exports of fruit & vegetables increase since July

Published: December 23, 2013

KARACHI: Fruit and vegetable exports went up by 40 and 33 per cent respectively in dollar terms in the first five months of the current fiscal year as compared to the same period last fiscal year.

Figures released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) revealed shipment of 218,203 tonnes of fruits ($143.4 million) in July-November 2013-2014 as compared to 191,739 tonnes ($103m) in same period last fiscal year.

Vegetable exports fetched $63m through shipment of 197,855 tonnes as compared to $47.4 million from 109,378 tonnes.

Boost in mango, onion and potato exports played a positive impact on overall growth in fruit and vegetable export, said Waheed Ahmed of All-Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association.

He informed that over 190,000 tonnes of mango was exported to Europe, Canada, Middle East, Far East, Japan and South Korea this season. Other fruits included apple, cheeko, apple custard (shareefa), he added.

Waheed said that overall exports of fruits can improve a lot in case export of kinno and mango resumes to Iran.

Pakistan is facing a ban on these items by Iran for the last three years.

Pakistan used to ship 25,000-30,000 tonnes of mango to Iran, fetching around $15mper year.

Similarly, export of around 80,000-90,000 tonnes of kinno to Iran, fetching $40m, also came to halt, he said.

He said kinno export got underway from Dec 1 and around 15,000 tonnes has been exported to Russia, Europe, Ukraine, Middle East, Far East and Norway. By the end of this month, exports would reach between 25,000 and 30,000 tonnes.

He added January and February 2014 would be peak season of kinno export and hopefully export target of $180m would be achieved with the shipment of 300,000 tonnes this season. In total export of vegetables, the share of onion stood at over 60pc with exports to countries, like India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Middle East and Malaysia.


http://www.dawn.com/news/1075551/exports-of-fruit-vegetables-increase-since-july