Yesterday, the Pakistan Businesses Forum (PBF) stressed the need for taking effective measures to capture the global fruit market to the maximum. In order to expedite this, setting up of ripening centres in the country will help increase perishable exports.
PBF Vice President Ahmad Jawad said that ripening centers would facilitate the needs of sophisticated international mango, banana and other fruit markets. He suggested that the Ministry of Commerce should devise a policy and allow zero percent duty on import of required machinery by issuing SRO.
Jawad told dailytimes.com.pk that establishment of ripening centres with proper treatment, Pakistani mangoes and bananas would fetch double rates, besides increasing the export volumes. Similarly five years tax holiday should be granted to the respective firms which would operate the facility, as it would encourage the private sector to invest in this business.
“This can easily help the country raise its annual fresh fruits export to $1.5 billion in two years,” said Ahmad Jawad in a statement.
The horticulture expert said Pakistan’s annually production was more than 2 million tons of mangoes but the exports hardly crossed 150,000 tons mark, which was nothing compared to the potential. “Surprisingly, certain segments of exporters every year issue impractical statements as to why the country has failed to achieve mango exports target,” he told thenews.com.pk.
