Horticulture Vision 2030: FPCCI envisages $6 billion additional exports in 10 years

KARACHI: The apex trade body of the country has envisioned an additional $6 billion horticulture exports in 10 years and prepared Pakistan Horticulture Vision 2030 to present roadmap for the development of the sector.

Pakistan’s horticulture exports are projected to be around $571 million for the outgoing fiscal year.

Speaking at the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry on Saturday, FPCCI Vice President Waheed Ahmed said that the Vision 2030 highlights major problems to the development of horticulture sector such as climate change, water scarcity, lack of knowledge, skill development and adoption of modern technology.

“This kind of initiative has been taken for the first time in Pakistan by any private sector organisation,” Ahmed added.

The country lacked innovative technologies for sustainable agriculture and environment to address the issue of food security, he said, adding: “Unless research culture is developed, our exports would not increase, as the growers are stuck with low-yielding orthodox techniques.” Waheed said that the vision provides a roadmap towards development of rural economy, promote agricultural enterprises and enhance exports.

“The roadmap has been derived following a series of consultations with government departments, stakeholders, traders, experts and supply chain professionals,” he said.

Industrialist Ikhtiar Baig said that the Vision 2030 provided not only a short-term plan, but a long-term plan also to promote horticulture sector, which would take the country’s horticulture exports to $2 billion in three years and to $6 billion in 10 years.

“The FPCCI has proposed that horticulture sector should be given the status of a full-fledged industry, and we will lobby with the government to prepare a policy, enabling implementation of Horticulture Vision 2030,” Baig added.

Dr Babar Pasha of Commonwealth Agriculture Bureau said that climate change and water scarcity posed greater risks to Pakistan’s overall agriculture.

“Unless agriculture has been taken as a system, things will not improve,” he said, adding that provinces have different climate zones and advocated cultivation of varied crops accordingly, which would broaden the product line, as well as mitigate the effects of climate change.

State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Director Samar Hasnain said that development finance was the top priority of the central bank, as without developing agriculture, SMEs and housing sector, no country can achieve inclusive and sustainable growth. Hasnain said that agricultural credit disbursement in the outgoing fiscal year had reached Rs10 trillion, adding that credit for horticulture sector accounted for three percent of the total disbursement. Sindh Minister for Agriculture Khair Mohammad Junejo also spoke on the occasion.