Optimizing apple fruit quality: PHDEC hosts webinar on post-harvest management techniques

KARACHI: Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) hosted a webinar focused on “Optimizing Apple Fruit Quality through Recommended Harvesting and Post-Harvest Management Techniques.”

The aim of the webinar was to bring the maximum of the stakeholders on board to discuss harvesting, post-harvest handling, sorting , packaging, transportation, loading, unloading, storages of Apple to minimize the post-harvest losses and availability of premium quality Apple in domestic and high-end-market.

Area of apple in Pakistan is approximately 2 lakh acres and its annual production is approximately 7 lakh tonnes. Apple cultivation in Pakistan is limited to the hilly areas of Balochistan (more than 90%), while rest is in Azad Kashmir, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Athar Hussain Khokhar, the CEO of PHDEC, extended a warm welcome to the participants. He provided an overview of PHDEC’s operations, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to supporting horticulture growers across Pakistan. Khokhar encouraged growers from Balochistan to submit proposals or projects to PHDEC, welcomed collaboration and partnership opportunities to further enhance the horticulture sector in the region.

Dr. Muhammad Javed Tareen (Technical Member Chief Ministers Inspection Team, Govt of Balochistan) Shared the current area and production of apple in Balochistan and last 10 year’s growth trend. He told to the participants that currently we are getting 9.5MT/Acre production while New Zealand is getting about 68MT/Acre. He explained the reasons of low production in Pakistan and impact of malpractices and lack of knowledge of recommended production technology of apple on quality, yield and post-harvest losses.

He recommended that Apple growers should adopt modern techniques of post-harvest and government should provide facilities of Packing materials/Refrigerated trucks for transportation and Cold storage and Access to market to minimize post-harvest losses.

A large number of participants from growers, processors, exporters, R&D and academia participated in the webinar and appreciated the PHDEC’s initiative of conducting the webinar.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024