Pakistan may miss 300m tons kinnow export target

Pakistan’s kinnow export target of 300 million tons for this year seems difficult to achieve due to the hurdles created by the customs authorities, an exporter said on Thursday. The Co-chairman of All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA) told The News that exporters suffered a loss of $10 million on export of kinnow, as shipments were delayed because of complete checking of consignments. “In many consignments planes left and cargo was not taken,” he said. CEO Harvest Tradings Ahmad Jawad said Japan may be good market for Pakistan kinnow in the coming years if Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) and Ministry of Commerce make serious efforts to explore this market as we did in mangoes last year. “The planners need to realise that there are certain areas where the private sector cannot help exports grow,” he said. The import of citrus in Japan has doubled in 2010/11 due to decline in local production Jawad said quoting a report of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The US and Australian citrus import to Japan has increased substantially during the period.

The import of fresh produce in Japan increased to 21,406 tons for the 12 months to September 2011, up from 10,797 tons for the same period a year before, the USDA Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report said. The US accounted for the majority of the increased volume, with a 93 per cent jump to 17,650 tons giving it a market share of 82 per cent. Matching with Japan’s new role as Australia’s largest citrus export market, Australian imports jumped 136 percent to 2,276 tons. New Zealand, Chilean and Taiwanese imports also grew over the period. Japan’s citrus imports are expected to decline by about 12 percent to 19,000 tons in 2011/12, the report added, because of Japanese Mikan production bouncing back. “On the other hand Pakistan’s export target for kinnow set at 300,000 tons this year is becoming harder to meet as the season unfolds due to unlimited blunders,” he said.

The CEO Harvest Tradings further emphasized that starting with Pakistan’s image building the trade or counsellors should work as marketing managers fully knowing about the market demand there and about the quality of products and selling tactics by Pakistan’s competitors. They should be very much in touch with the business communities there, exchange business data and information, provide businessmen at both ends with proper consultation meant to increase bilateral trade and investment, help resolve trade disputes between entrepreneurs of Pakistan and any other country.

Source: thenews.com.pk