Arooj Zulfiqar

Pakistan needs to increase investment in infrastructure development and marketing efforts to exploit its true potential for fruit and vegetable exports, said Dr Nur Ullah, a Senior Scientific Officer at National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC). Despite having tremendous potential, Pakistan’s exports of fruits and vegetables remain largely untapped. Global fruit and vegetable imports have multiplied almost four-fold during the past two decades to reach $213 billion in 2020, according to UN Comtrade database.

“Although developed countries dominate the market, developing countries, especially in Asia, have increased their share of demand because of population growth, urbanisation, and rising wages,” Dr Nur said. “To meet this rise in demand, an increasing number of suppliers are entering the global market and offering an ever-wider array of commodities, therefore increasing the pressure on producers’ prices and supply chains’ efficiency to compete on an international scale,” he added. Offering a variety of climatic zones and geographical zones for growing food crops, Pakistan is among the largest producers of horticultural products in the world, particularly in growing large quantities of potatoes, citrus, onions and mangoes.

Production and exports of major fruits and vegetables in Pakistan (2020-21)

The production primarily aims at the domestic market (only 3% of the volume is sold internationally). With a relatively weak and volatile export growth observed during the past decade and export earnings amounting to $679 million in 2020, Pakistan remains a minor player in the global food and vegetable market, with a market share of 0.33% in world exports in 2020. “One of the key factors limiting Pakistan’s exports of fruits and vegetables is the lack of modern infrastructure and technology in the sector. This makes it difficult for farmers and agribusinesses to compete in international markets, particularly in terms of quality and price,” Dr Nur pointed out.

He said another challenge is the lack of awareness and marketing efforts to promote Pakistani produce in international markets. “While the country produces a wide range of fruits and vegetables, many consumers around the world may not be aware of the quality and variety of Pakistani produce,” he said. He said there is a need for significant investment in infrastructure, technology, and marketing efforts to promote Pakistani fruits and vegetables in international markets.

“This includes developing modern processing and packaging facilities, improving transportation and logistics infrastructure, and investing in research and development to improve crop yields and quality,” he said, adding that there was also a need for greater collaboration between the government and private sector stakeholders to promote Pakistani produce in international markets.

 Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk