According to Pakistan's Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, cherries are grown at over 2,500 hectares of land in Pakistan with Gilgit-Baltistan and the southwestern Balochistan province being the two major cherry producing areas of the country. Pakistan's collective yield of cherry in 2016 was over 6,000 tons.
Currently, the nation is not so competitive in terms of cherry production and processing as compared to some countries in the world. Still, experts claim the situation could get better if farmers in the cherry-growing areas are given proper guidance, knowledge and technology to meet the demands of international markets..
Pakistani cherry has not been so far able to reach any international market, except being sold in a few markets in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), because local farmers do not know the process and procedures to register their products in the international markets.
Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Syed Fakhar Imam, said the cherry fruit had not made any significant entry into the international market despite having potential and the government was devising plans to uplift the agricultural sector, which would eventually benefit all farmers including the cherry producers.
Source: thenews.com.pk
