Tomato being imported from Iran, Afghanistan, not India

LAHORE: The federal government has decided not to relax the conditions to import tomato from India as the shortage in Punjab and other parts aggravated. However, efforts have been started to import it from Iran and Afghanistan instead of India.

Supply of 14 trucks of tomatoes from Kabul arrived in Lahore on Monday and 17 trucks will arrive today (Tuesday).Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan categorically denied the import of tomato from India.

Anticipating some relaxation from Islamabad, Indian vegetable exporters have been bringing ample supply of tomato to Amritsar in order to export it to Pakistan once the quarantine laws were relaxed. Rajdeep Upal, an exporter from India, said almost 300 to 350 trucks of tomatoes were arriving in Amritsar which is much higher than the demand.

The vegetable traders were expecting the relaxation and in case of relaxation, everyone wants to cross the consignment quickly from the border, he said. “We have contacted our counterparts in Lahore for expected resumption of trade of the perishable,” he said, however, they informed us that the ministry concerned has decided not to allow import of tomatoes from India, which is discouraging for us, he added.

On the other hand, the supply situation in Badami Bagh fruits and vegetables market, Lahore, the biggest wholesale market of the perishable remained disappointing. Only 16 trucks of tomatoes arrived out of which 12 from Kabul, Afghanistan and four from Quetta on Sunday for Monday’s supply. On Monday, only 20 trucks of tomatoes reached the provincial capital. Last year, the total supply of imported tomato from India was 58 trucks and average supply of it across the border was almost 50 trucks a day from mid September.

Secretary Market Committee Lahore, Shahzad Cheema, talking to The News said daily demand of Lahore division is almost 50 trucks while the supply is not increasing to 20 trucks. Only for Lahore, daily 25 trucks of tomatoes are required to meet the demand, he added.

Furthermore, he said the supply of tomatoes from Swat, and Sindh will start by next two weeks. The crop is premature there and unripe. Thus the supply has not been started. “We are trying to bring tomatoes from other channels from Afghanistan and Iran,” he said. The situation will come in control once the supply from Sindh and Swat will improve.