KARACHI: Drought over some last years, post harvest losses, malfunctioning of markets, lack of information on the part of farmers and absence of incentive to the growers and most alarmingly fruit fly have been identified as the main actors damaging apple crop and its exports; leading to decrease in its cultivation. Fruit fly infestation had not only caused a huge loss to fruit growers but badly affected the exports worth billions of rupees annually, observed Chairman, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Standing Committee on Horticulture Exports, Ahmad Jawad in a statement here on Thursday.
Ahmad Jawad asserted, “ If we could not overcome fruit fly attack, we would be isolated from the world fruit market.”
Similarly, Federal government established an Apple Grading Plant in Quetta through Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) in August 2008. But, he pointed out, this plant was not operative due to security situation.
He was of the view that local apple farming would be badly affected due to large scale penetration of Chinese and New Zealand apples into our market for last couple of years.
Chinese and New Zealand waxed apples were sold in our markets at Rs 160 to 300 per kg and consumer had no option to buy these due to unavailability of the local product throughout the year due to lack of required infrastructure/facilities.
He said Pakistan’s apple production was likely to fall by twenty percent every year. The situation was too bad as apple trees were being cut in Baluchistan because growers were not getting good rates. Jawad said Pakistan had, however, a big potential to penetrate in the world apple market, if the industry was properly taken care of. “ The world apple export market forms the volume of around six million tones per year with France, Chile, Belgium, United States of America and Netherlands sharing the major chunk,” he said. Balochistan had 65 percent share while Khyber Phaktunkahwa had 25 percent share. As a whole, Pakistan ranked 10th largest producer in the world and produced around 1.5 million tons apples every year. He also said Iran and China were the regional competitors of Pakistan in apple export.
Chairman FPCCI body on horticulture exports emphasized that though proper facility of enhancing cosmetic look of apples after washing and waxing including process of hot water treatment would boost their exports from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa. These two provincial governments should coordinate with Department of Plant Protection (DPP) to devise a comprehensive strategy for increase in apple exports on the lines of latest farming practices.
