By Omer Bilal ISLAMABAD, Feb 01, (INP-WealthPK): Dates processing plants are essentially needed for the sector for processing of the commodity in simple or value-added form. The Sindh Enterprise Development Fund and Investment Department, in collaboration with the Board of Investment (BOI), is looking for investment to establish a plant in Khairpur district of Sindh province. The estimated investment for the establishment of the plant is Rs504 million, having one-year completion time. Agri products constitute the largest sector of Pakistan’s economy. The majority of the population, directly or indirectly, depends on this sector. It contributes about 24 percent of GDP and accounts for half of employed labour force and is the largest source of foreign exchange earnings, according to the BOI. It is the need of time to set up state-of-the-art dates processing plants to fulfil the need of the domestic market besides an increase in export-quality dates. Dates are exported in two forms — fresh dates and dried dates. Fresh dates are exported to some important markets of the US, Canada, France, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Japan, China, South Korea, North Korea and UAE, while 90 percent of dried dates are exported to India usually via Lahore, the capital of Punjab province. Pakistan has capacity to supply greater volume of dates to Europe. Egypt is the world leader in date cultivation and production, which produces approximately 1,084,529 metric tons of the commodity. Following Egypt, Iran produces 947,809 metric tons annually. The third largest producer is Saudi Arabia, producing 836,983 metric tons per year. Iraq produces 675,440 metric tons every year. Dates are one of the most important cash fruit crops of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth largest dates producing country in the world, which grows the fruit on a commercial scale. The harvesting season for dates starts in July and runs until September. Dates are cultivated over an area of 223,880 acres in Pakistan with an annual is estimated to be between 550,000 to 650,000 metric tons, according to the BOI. Sindh contributes around 50 percent of dates produced in Pakistan of which 90 percent come from Khairpur. Sindh is the largest date-producing province followed by Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Major dates producing areas in the country are Turbat, Panjgur, Gwadar, Khairpur, and Dera Ismail Khan. More than 160 varieties of dates are produced in the country, among them the popular varieties are Aseel, Zahidi, Fasli, Maazwati, Dhakki, Kharbalian, Begum Jangi, Dagh, Goakna, Tota, Karwan, Hillavi, Khudrawi and Mozawati Gulistan, Jowansur, Lango, Sabzo, Kharuba, Karbala, and Kupro. Aseel of Khairpur is the best of all varieties of dates grown in Pakistan in terms of demand and popularity due to their exotic taste. The project will be accomplished on the basis of public-private-partnership and the treatment, drying, fumigation, irrigation, moistening and pasteurisation of the dates will be carried out in the processing plant. It is also under consideration that more verities of dates can be produced through research and development. It is an open investment opportunity for investors.