Processing tomatoes

Tomatoes are a major crop for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Tomatoes are also heavily imported by Russia, China, Middle East and other developed nations.

To help provide maximum benefits to tomato farmers and to reduce imports and increase exports, the governments of KP and Balochistan should help the private sector set up tomatoes processing units.

Since long-term cold storage for tomatoes and other crops is one of the main requirements for the food industry, the government should create cold storages closer to new power plants.

The government should also provide land, utility connections, export finance and running finances through a single window facility to investors willing to set up tomato processing and exporting plant in KP. With such measures, tomatoes will become a major export crop of Pakistan.

Shahryar Khan Baseer

Peshawar