Horticulture needs a quality boost

Pakistani agriculture products are the best in the world, yet the sector has not excelled to its true potential. The focus of untrained people in the horticulture field has been on increasing production, rather than on improving the quality of the product.
Pakistan enjoys its place as the fifth largest producer of mangoes, fourth largest producer of dates and thirteenth largest producer of citrus, but the lack of post-harvest and cold chain infrastructure is seriously hampering Pakistans horticulture export potential.
Every year, 2.2 million tons of vegetables and 2.8-3 million tons of fruits go to waste during and after harvest. "This is a big loss - roughly 30 percent of Pakistans total vegetable production and about 40 percent of fruits are being wasted," said CEO Harvest Trading and Member Export Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ahmad Jawad, while talking to BR Research.
Quality-conscious foreign buyers want every exporting country to align their supply chains as per international standards in order to expand its share in the international market. Unfortunately, however, lack of awareness among Pakistani exporters regarding global food safety standards, cohesive supply chains, and marketing systems are to blame for keeping the volume of the countrys produce export low.
The reality is clear: horticulture exports can only be boosted if Pakistan can develop an integrated quality system.
"If the emerging problem is not resolved on priority basis, exports may not move as fast, largely because of international sensitivity to quality issues," added Jawad.
There is, therefore, a need for public-private initiatives to invest in technologies to enhance the shelf life of the produce and boost export prices. Educational training needs to be given to the producers to ensure that fruit quality is improved and post-harvest handling is perfected.
The government and other financial institutions need to lend financial support to this sector as well, since it has been striving for the last couple of years.
The Federal Ministry of Commerce must chalk out plans to expand its share in new markets like the EU, East Europe, China, Canada, Africa and Australia, by giving top priority to the quality of the produce.