Govt’s help sought for potato exports

LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has demanded the government to facilitate export of 1.5 million tons of surplus potato, as presently growers sold their crops below the cost of production.

LCCI President Almas Hyder said government should facilitate the exports of potato to earn huge foreign exchange. He said transportation cost for potato should be reduced and facilities should be given for packing and washing the root vegetables.

LCCI Senior Vice President Khawaja Shahzad Nasir and Vice President Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigal, in a meeting with agriculture expert Ahmed Saeed Bhatti, said growers of potato were in a deep financial crisis for the past three years by selling their crops below the cost of production.

Average per annum potato production was 4.5 million tons against the local consumption of 2.4 to 2.5 million tons, they said. Potato was an important crop in Pakistan following cereals, with potential to earn a significant amount of foreign exchange.

“After domestic consumption and procurement of seed for the next growing season for potato, the country has surplus production well over 1.5 million tons,” they said.

This surplus, they pointed out could generate huge foreign exchange by exploiting the high demand in Russia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Central Asia and the Middle East for the Pakistani potato, the quality and shelf-life of which was better than other countries.