Food, packaging show brings 25 countries to Karachi

KARACHI: The improvement in law and order situation has brought back the largest plastic and food processing exhibition to Karachi after a gap of two years, with participation of 25 countries. The three-day, 13th International Plastics and Packaging Industry Exhibition and 12th International Exhibition of Food and Beverage Processing Packaging Technologies started on Tuesday at the Expo Centre.
There are 181 stalls from 249 companies from 25 countries, including 25 industries from Pakistan, of which 10 companies are indigenous, while others are joint ventures with international industries. Pakistan’s plastic and packaging sector growth is 13 percent per year.
Exhibitors from France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Spain, UAE, and UK are also taking part in the exhibition.
Pakistan is not far behind in some types of plastic and food processing machinery. Karachi and Lahore based companies that sell their machinery to South and North African countries, Bangladesh, Sudan, and Lebanon, etc are also participating in the exhibition.
Iran’s ten plastic and food processing companies are also participating in the exhibition for the first time after the lifting of sanctions.
Pakistan has remained an agriculture based economy, and as it is now moving towards agro-based industry, the local industries got a chance to learn from the international technology and adopt it, Aamer Khanzada, organiser of the exhibition, and managing director Pegasus Consultancy (Pvt) Ltd told The News.
He said processing, preservation and presentation of the food was important and the technology had arrived in Pakistan. There was need to use environment friendly plastic packaging, and for this purpose, the machinery was also available in the market.
“Flexible packaging technology is coming,” he said. “We are the 13th largest exporters of processed food. We need raw meat preservation technology and ready to cook food technology.” Pakistan also needs preservation technology for its mangoes, apples, kinnows and other fruits, he added.
The exhibition features and focuses on participants from the larger industries to the level of small packaging units. Participants have come from the electronic appliances sector, automotive industry, refrigeration industry, etc. Youngsters wanting to learn about new technologies and technical universities can educate themselves of the innovative machinery on display at the show. “You can learn technology and buy it,” Khanzada said.
Fast-food chains, conscious of presenting health conscious technology, are also participating in the exhibition. “Fast-food chains are earning revenue of $26 million per year from Pakistan,” he informed.
Secretary General, Iran National Plastic and Polymer Industries Association, Shoeyb Hassani said they exported their plastic goods manufacturing machines to Iraq, Europe, and Afghanistan, though their exports were restricted for a few years due to the international sanctions.
Last year, their trade of plastic material and machinery stood at $120 million with Pakistan. The exhibit is scheduled to continue until September 3, 2015.