Pakistan can earn easily 300 million dollars foreign exchange from kinnow export, subject to formulate proper policy on the lines of Florida and Australian oranges. Exchange reserves in the country may be increased by the seedless production of kinnow in the future? Chairman Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Ahmad Jawad said.Jawad emphasised that the govt should focus on the clustered mapping of agriculture sector for enhancing its growth as "vibrant rural economy will have significant impact on the overall economy and it will solve the imbalance in rural and urban population".
Jawad stated the infrastructure that is needed for the transformation of the agriculture sector is either missing or dysfunctional. "Pakistan's agriculture has tremendous potential but lacks processing and packaging for the forward linkages with national and global markets".
"Agriculture value chain for multiplying the growth of agriculture sector was overlooked in the past", he added. Regardless Pakistan have great potential in fruit, vegetable, horticulture and livestock products but it could not be fully realised because of the missing value chains.
He said that Pakistan is fifth largest producer of dates & 10th largest in Apples but it does not have the processing industry and forwarding links to the market. "Similarly we failed to brand mangoes, kinnows despite having immense potential", he said. It is also high time that Punjab Government must create the mechanism to announce official support price of Kinnow crop every year, so that growers should know the standard rates of their product.
As Punjab produces around 2.2 million tons of kinnow every year and in order to strengthen this crop further, it is needed that provincial govt should add the kinnow crop in their support price list, like they do in wheat and sugar cane, because kinnow orchards also grow speedily in South Punjab.
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