By Qudsia Bano ISLAMABAD, Jan 31 (INP-WealthPK): Horticulture has grown to be an important sector in Pakistan, providing 12% of the country's agricultural GDP during the last decade, and producing a wide range of products to meet the country's growing needs for fruits and vegetables. However, the sector’s share in international exports remains dismal. Of the total global horticulture exports of $124 billion, Pakistan contributes a meagre $0.24 billion, accounting for less than 1% of global exports. As Pakistan's economy is based on agriculture, so maximising agricultural products’ exports is critical. Value addition in agricultural commodities, particularly cash crops, of which horticulture is an essential part, is crucial from this perspective. Pakistan holds a 1.5% share in global citrus fruit (orange) exports and a 2.8% in potato exports, the two primary commodities with the potential for future growth. Food products such as orange juice, potato chips and fries, and tomato ketchup have a Pakistani export proportion of less than 0.5% in each category, despite global trade values of $7 billion, $10.8 billion, and $6.4 billion, respectively. This emphasises Pakistan's untapped potential, as well as an opportunity to invest in improving their production and value addition, establishing a global brand, and increasing export volumes. Despite its excellent resource base, Pakistan's horticultural exports account for less than half percent of worldwide horticulture commodity trade (0.34%). The following figure depicts the minor increase in Pakistan's global share of horticultural exports. The main six commodities now exported from Pakistan, namely citrus, dates, mango, potato, onion, and tomato, account for nearly 80% of the horticulture sector's overall exports. Citrus is the most valuable commodity exported, followed by potato and dates. Banana and tomato exports are negligible, in part due to restricted domestic output. Pakistan's traditional focus has been on food self-sufficiency rather than being a player in the global food value chain. Pakistan's horticulture business faces numerous obstacles. Seed certification is a difficult task. A majority of vegetable seeds are imported as the government seed certification agency's low capacity has constrained importers' and farmers' options for adopting new kinds. On paper, it takes two years of field trials for an importer or breeder to receive first clearance, but in practise, it might take anywhere from three to five years to launch a new variety. Given the scale and expanding demand for horticulture exports on the global market, there is significant potential for Pakistan to increase exports of high-quality horticultural output if untapped potential is exploited. Horticulture crop growers do not make much profit because they do not know the appropriate technology required in cultivating fruit crops, essential harvesting and packaging methods, transportation requirements, marketing, and export. The middle man, on the other hand, is more informed and obtains the orchard at a low cost, employs some untrained rural, rustic workforce that is readily available, then harvests, packs, and markets it. He also works as an exporter. Pakistan must design a comprehensive national horticulture strategy that incorporates the perspectives of all stakeholders, including farmers, input providers, agriculture traders, and the provincial and federal governments. The major areas to be worked on are seed certification, swift approval of safe crop protection agents, and the establishment and acceptance of horticulture produce quality standards. A growing horticultural sector can give employment opportunities for the rural poor, increase household income, provide people with high-quality fruits and vegetables, and open up export potential. As items are often differentiated by nation of origin in the global food markets, despite their individuality and great quality, Pakistani mangoes have no market recognition. This is a pressing issue that necessitates a government action to form a public-private collaboration. With the rapidly growing development and geographical connections between Pakistan and China under CPEC, there is a significant potential for increasing Pakistani horticultural exports, notably in vegetables.