LAHORE: Peach of Swat is one of the most famous fruit of Pakistan, the mango may be Pakistan’s preferred fruit heavyweight, but the peach is no slouch either, at least in the country’s northern and northwestern regions.
Pakistan China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) President Moazzam Ghurki, President expressed these views during a think-tank session held here at PCJCCI Secretariat.
Ghurki said that in recent years, Swat had done a great job in boosting tourism. However, the peach industry was not developed as fast. “The benefit that we get from tourism is very little, which is not more than four or five per cent. It will be beneficial if the government gives some packages to the farmers and set up factories etc.,” he observed.
Fang Yulong, Senior Vice President of PCJCCI, said that before Swat Motorway was built here, it took five to six hours to reach Rawalpindi, now the vehicle can reach in 3.5 to four hours, which means that two hours have been saved, and in this way to Faisalabad, Lahore and Karachi. To combine peach industry with local tourism, Swat may get some inspiration from a small township in Xinjiang, China, where a Peach Flower Festival is held and it attracted many tourists. For tourists who came to see peach blossoms, most of them came back to buy peaches when they were ripe.
The economic benefits are particularly good. He added that Pakistani government should initiate such festivals to promote tourism and tap potential in fruit and farming sector.
PCJCCI Vice President Hamza Khalid said , “We should seek help from China’s technological advancements to further growth in this sector. The second phase of Swat Motorway project is a part of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). With that, Swat peaches can reach more cities.
Secretary General Salahuddin Hanif said, “We plan to build a platform for peach sales, combining peach production with e-commerce and rural tourism to make this industry stronger and bigger which can also enhance farmers’ income.”
