Govt urged to activate its horticulture export body

ISLAMABAD: Ahmad Jawwad, an expert on horticulture exports, on Tuesday urged the government to take notice of Pakistan Horticulture Development Export Company’s (PHDEC) failure to play its due role in enhancing this sector’s exports and decide if it's worth it.

“To date the country has no export strategy for this emerging industry and Pakistan’s share in international market is meager,” said Ahmad Jawad, Vice President of Pakistan Businesses Forum and former chairman FPCCI Standing Committee on Agriculture in a statement. Jawad said according to 2015 IFPRI IMPACT projections, Russia’s demand for fruit would the fastest growing category in food demand, reaching $11.4 billion and same was true for China, which could be a tremendous opportunities for Pakistani fruits.

He said though PHDEC initially worked somehow well, it latter virtually becomes dormant. “PHDEC failed to introduce concrete measures for the promotion of horticulture exports. Even from the last five years company runs through acting chiefs.”

He said despite global trade, demand for horticulture commodities had increased over time. “It has quadrupled, from $51 billion in 2001 to $200 billion in 2018 and in contrast Pakistan has been unable to capitalise from the growth in global demand.”

It was due to a lack of focus and inadequate investment in requisite infrastructure such as cold chain, packing houses, proper logistics, and processing units however till date Pakistan horticulture exports around $700 million, which was unfortunate.

Jawad further said the officials of the commerce ministry mostly believed that after the 18th amendment, horticulture sector was under the mandate of the provinces and the federal government had nothing do with it, but they ignored the aspect regarding exports of horticulture sector as it was the sole responsibility of the commerce ministry to look after the affairs and problems of this sector.