ISLAMABAD: No consignment of peaches could be exported previous year, sources said. Peaches mainly grow in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Potohar area of Punjab. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Early Grand, Flordaking 6-A and 8-A are the popular varieties whereas Golden Early, Shahpasand and Shireen are grown in Balochistan.
Sources told Customs Today that the Ministry of Commerce has taken drastic measures to safeguard peach growers from severe financial losses. Peaches are exported in fresh or dried form. The ministry is taking necessary measures to facilitate peach growers in Swat to increase production and improve its quality for local consumption and export.
The measures include provision of high quality nursery plants and Germplasm units for budwood supply to commercial nurseries. Trainings and capacity building of growers for orchards management is being ensured to avoid destruction of crops with the passage time.
It is pertinent to note here that there is a wide range of varieties of peaches in the country. Only in Peshawar region, dozens of varieties have been tested and a few are recommended for general cultivation.
