PHDEC holds SPS webinar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, recognised as one of the world's top 15 potato producers, is slowly making strides in the global agricultural market with an annual production of approximately 7.8 million tonnes and exports nearing 0.95 million tonnes

The country's potato exports, which commence in January and continue through April, find markets in Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan.

The Pakistan Horticulture Development & Export Company (PHDEC) hosted a webinar titled “Awareness Session on SPS Requirements of Potato Exports for Central Asian Countries.”

The session aimed to bolster the knowledge of entrepreneurs and potential exporters about the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards required by Central Asian nations.

Athar Hussain Khokhar, CEO of PHDEC, inaugurated the webinar, emphasising its significance for the horticulture industry's growth in Pakistan.

Muhammad Aqeed Mehdi, an entomologist and quarantine officer at the Department of Plant Protection, underscored the importance of phytosanitary measures in ensuring pest control and preventing their spread, highlighting the necessity of maintaining phytosanitary security post-treatment.

The webinar also featured insights from Ataullah, Trade and Investment Counselor in Tashkent, who pointed out Pakistan's significant export potential to Kazakhstan, and Malik Abdul Majeed, Trade and Investment Attaché in Dushanbe, who noted Pakistan's role as Tajikistan’s primary potato supplier.

Rizwana Qazi, Trade and Investment Counselor in Almaty, confirmed that a substantial portion of Kazakhstan's potato imports in the 2022-2023 period originated from Pakistan.

The Trade and Investment Officers (TIOs) collectively pledged their support to potato growers and exporters in addressing trade-related queries.

A large number of entrepreneurs and potential potato exporters participated in the webinar and appreciated the PHDEC’s initiative of conducting the webinar on an important topic of SPS requirements.