Govt urged to start potato export to China
Last updated on: 16 January,2019 09:28 pm
Pakistan has bumper crops of potato this year having substantial surplus quantity for export.
KARACHI (Dunya News) – All Pakistan Vegetable and Fruits Exporters Association urged the government to initiate a process of exports of potato to China as the country has harvested bumper crop and could meet the demand as the country imports around one million tons per annum of the commodity.
In a letter written to Ministry of Commerce the Association said that it was agreed that China would urgently initiate the process of potato import from Pakistan after fulfilling the SPS requirements.
China imports approximately one million metric ton of potato of various varieties from different countries. The development that China desires to import Pakistani potato has been hailed by all potato exporters.
Pakistan has bumper crops of potato this year having substantial surplus quantity for export. Had this unique opportunity been not surfaced, the growers would have no other option but to bury the huge surplus quantity in ground sustaining huge financial losses. This would have led to the following negative effects on growers:
The growers getting demoralized would not grow potato next year resulting in acute shortage and thus government may have to import Potato to make up deficiency adding further burden on depleting foreign exchange reserve.
The growers would seriously consider switching over to some other business or go for other paying crops less potato, creating serious shortage of this demanding vegetable and making it expensive for the common man.
Since huge quantity of surplus Potato is available, the exporters would not face any issue for meeting demand from China, being a huge market, compared to supply of the same. This simply means export of Potato would enhance substantially which would be beneficial for the growers getting good price while the government would earn valuable foreign exchange desperately needed to reshape our economy.
Abdul Waheed, Chairman, All Pakistan Vegetable and Fruits Association recommended government to initiate prompt necessary action for inviting the Chinese quarantine team for compliance of SPS formalities so that promising potential of this big market can be effectively tapped which is certainly in line with the Primer’s sincere desire to enhance export of this sector.