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, the efforts are 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 vegetables exporters has been bringing ample supply of tomato to Amritsar in order to export it to Pakistan once the quarantine laws relax. 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 tomato 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 tomato arrived out of which 12 from Kabul, Afghanistan and four from Quetta on Sunday for Monday supply.

On Monday, only 20 trucks of tomatoes reached the provincial capital. Last year, 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 tomato from Swat, and Sindh will start by next two weeks. The crop is premature there and unripe. Thus the supply is not started. ‘We are trying to bring tomato from other channels from Afghanistan and Iran’, he said. The situation will come in control once supply from Sindh and Swat will improve. Besides, some contribution from local crop of tunnel technologies farming will also start coming. But the production of tomato from tunnel technologies farming is not huge, he observed. The local tomato crop of Punjab will start from April next year, he added.

‘The price of a 25kg tomato crate in India is currently Rs700 and in Lahore is Rs4,000. The difference is huge and attracting Indian vegetables traders’, he said. Meanwhile, Marketing Wing Agriculture Department said tomato prices raised in local market due to decay of crop in Balochistan. New production of tomatoes from KP will arrive in market within 20 days and tomato prices will come down. Furthermore, Balochistan and Sindh are currently feeding onion to Punjab and the supply is improving as well.

The spokesperson claimed that the government high priority is to maintain demand and supply gap of fruits and vegetables in local market. Pakistan has been facing serious problem regarding tomato supply for many years. The Punjab government has to spent her money and public has to pay high tomato prices at the same time, for these reasons our tomato cultivators discouraged. Now, the government has introduced a policy to maintain supply and demand gap regarding tomato and other provinces also informed about it.

Tomatoes prices remained stable till Eid-ul-Azha but due to heavy rainfall, tomato crop in Balochistan and Sindh adversely affected. Moreover, due to climate adversity, tomato crop from KP is not being marketed timely. Keeping in view this aggravated situation, the government imported tomato from Iran and Afghanistan to bridge the gap between demand and supply of the perishable.

The Lahore Chamber of Commerce President appreciated the announcement of the federal government for not importing tomato from India. He believed that the step would encourage the local farmer to grow more besides saving huge foreign exchange. He said the country has all resources to feed the population; therefore, local growers should be facilitated to the maximum and their issues should be resolved on priority.