Aslam Pakhali has been elected as the new chairman of the Pakistan Fruit & Vegetable Exporters, Importers & Merchants Association (PFVA) - the only outfit in the fresh fruits and vegetables sector registered by the Directorate General of Trade Organizations (DGTO). DGTO is working as an attached department of the Ministry of Commerce for the Government of Pakistan. It will achieve all the objectives set by our Patron-in-Chief Waheed Ahmed.
As the new chair, Pakhali’s top agenda is to explore other export destinations across the world, something he hopes to achieve through an aggressive marketing strategy. “Together with my team, I plan to develop an aggressive plan to market our fruits and vegetables in other potential markets across the continents where we have not been able to reach in the past,” he said.
Being the person in charge of ensuring Pakistan’s fruits and vegetables retain their place in the international markets, top on Pakhali’s plans is also to priorititise R&D. “R&D will be given a higher priority to ensure our survival in the highly competitive international markets. Substantial investment is required for R&D and thus all efforts will be made to convince the government on the importance and significance of establishing R&D labs in major cities for us to remain competitive in these markets,” he added.
Given the crucial role PFVA plays in Pakistan’s vegetable and fruits export sector, the new chairman plans to put more emphasis on quality, food safety measures, enhancement of shelf life and the reduction in cost of production.
“As the chairman of PFVA, I hope to oversee the introduction of better varieties during my tenure. I also plan to work in close co-ordination with relevant government institutions through an open communication process. We also hope to address and resolve underlying issues through this cooperation,” noted Pakhali. An experienced player in the sector, the new chairman further noted that improving Pakistan’s packaging methods to meet the international standards also features prominently on his to-do list.
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