There has been a steep fall in the exports of Kinnow despite a bumper crop in the 2011-12 season. The export target was set at 300,000 tons but closed at lower volumes in the ranges of 200,000 ton, recording a shortfall of 100,000 ton. One of the reasons could be that the fruit was not received well in Iran, Indonesia and Sri Lankan markets.
Harvest Trading Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Jawad told Business Recorder: unfortunately in this scenario, farmer got most of the beating. The reason being that although the production of citrus was around two million tons with average five percent growth per year, the export target was less as compared to production with the result that farmer's payment got badly stuck due to so called export issue which was raised by middleman known as (Wipaari) and factory owners and farmers was rewarded with losses.
Removal of the role of middleman and strengthening farmers input with the addition of new markets every year is required to stabilise the industry, he said. Similarly the share of Kinnow in fruit exports has been recorded as follows: In FY 2008 it was 36.30 percent, in FY 2009 the share was 28.66 percent, FY 2010 41.81 percent and FY 2011 it was 34.39 percent.
Dilating further on the issue, Jawad said that handsome funding was required for basic infrastructure development for Kinnow exports besides credit line for the processors and packaging (for the orchard farmers & R&D) is also needed from EDF (Export Development Fund) through some mechanism to achieve the targets in medium term so that they contribute their share annually in terms of foreign remittances to the government.
At present, there is little or no government intervention and assistance. There are no export zones, no dry ports, and not even adequate natural gas to power factories. The million dollar question, therefore, is: Is this boom pure luck? Or did we have anything to do with it? The answer finally comes. "Yes we are exporting Kinnow without any strategy. Sometimes we achieve while sometimes we lose," he said. Jawad estimated that currently, the world market for citrus was 2.135 billion dollars in which Pakistan's share had remained 33 million dollars per annum, just around 2.5 percent.
On the other hand, Florida Citrus which is less sweat in taste than Pakistani oranges has made tremendous in-roads to take their oranges in tyre industry. Greater demand for orange oil can trickle down to Central Florida growers. Yokohama Company has figured out a way to process the orange oil into a resin added to the rubber in its tires, giving them a better grip and a tread life of 75,000 miles. Where does Pakistani Kinnow stand in this new line of business? he asked. "Kinnow has bright prospects for future; subject to proper dedication and research on the lines of Florida Citrus as our Kinnow is the only fruit whose juice costs as little as a cup of tea," Jawad remarked.