Export of vegetables, fruits goes up despite corona

MULTAN: The country has registered a sharp rise in the export of fruits and vegetables despite COVID-19.

In a press release issued here on Tuesday, All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association chief patron Mian Waheed Ahmed said that the export volume had witnessed more than 12pc increase. He said that the export of fruits had enhanced by 3.8pc as compared to last year while the vegetables reflected an increase in export by 28pc.

He said at the time when the global trade was facing stiff challenges and it was almost impossible to ensure timely delivery of Pakistani fruits and vegetables to abroad due to the pandemic and lockdown. However, he added, the PFVA translated these challenges into opportunity by enhancing exports and adopted realistic strategies with the special attention paid by the federal government to the international markets of Iran and Afghanistan.

He said that the country grabbed this unique opportunity and enhanced export of Kinnow, potato and onion despite serious issues of transportation and logistics arising from the pandemic. During the peak of the pandemic, Pakistan exported delicious and highly nutrient mangoes to many countries of the world, he told.

Waheed said that besides maintaining consistency in exports’ enhancement of fruits and vegetables, it was also imperative to take necessary steps to further boost the export of this sector. To attain this objective, the PFVA had presented a comprehensive road map titled ‘Horticulture Vision 2030’ to the government, which had been developed with extensive consultation with all concerned stakeholders of the horticulture sector of all the provinces, he informed.

This policy document highlights short, medium and long term solutions of the issues and barriers which the sector was being confronted, he maintained.

He said that the Ministry of Commerce had also started consulting stakeholders for preparation of Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF) for next five years and reviewing opportunities for enhancement of export of the horticulture sector and recommendations. Waheed suggested establishing common facilities centres for processing, packaging and storage of fruits and vegetables produced in Sindh and Balochistan.

He told that by enhancing yield per acre and through cultivation of the best varieties of fruits and vegetables, the challenge of food security could also be effectively dealt which was directly linked to the security of Pakistan.

LHC Multan Bench orders production of rapist in 30 days: Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf of the Lahore High Court Multan Bench on Tuesday directed the foreign secretary to produce an alleged rapist with the help of the Interpol before the court within 30 days who had fled abroad after committing the crime. A petitioner Muhammad Qasim, a resident of Alipur, filed his writ petition before the court, stating that accused Shakil Ahmed and Rashid Ahmed allegedly raped his mentally-retorted sister.

He told the court that Alipur police had registered a case and the medical examination report had proved that the girl was raped. He informed the court that one accused Rashid Ahmed had been arrested while other accused Shakil Ahmed fled Sharjah from the Sialkot Airport. The court directed Assistant Attorney General Syed Shahanshah Hussain to send the court orders to the foreign secretary for the arrest of the accused rapist through Interpol within days.