Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry's (FPCCI) Standing Committee on Horticulture & Agriculture Produce has demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to establish plug-in facility in Chardsada, Peshawar, Swabi and D.I. Khan for the refrigeration of containers carrying perishable exports items. Speaking at a meeting of the Standing Committee, its chairman Ahmad Jawad said that the KPK's economy is based on agriculture and as such it was obligatory upon the government to provide basic infrastructure facilities to exporters of fruits and vegetables.
Such measures on the part of KPK government will also help increase the volume of trade in the light of draft of a new trade policy that has been approved by a sub-committee of the federal cabinet. Jawad said KPK, which is hub of fresh vegetables, had been exporting the commodity to different countries through expensive air cargo, thereby rendering its produce uncompetitive in the international market as compared to Indian vegetables. Elaborating, he said that volume of the KPK vegetables' export comes to 40 tons per day in the peak season and around 25 tons daily in the off season.
The volume of vegetables exports could be increased up to 200 tons daily provided the commodity was exported via sea but for this plug-in facility will be required to maintaining proper temperature for ensuring freshness of the produce, he said, adding that a letter in this regard has already been sent to the additional chief secretary of KPK.
The meeting also expressed its concern over non-implementation of the committee's recommendations by Department of Plant Protection (DPP) concerning deployment of adequate number of quarantine inspectors at DPP Peshawar office for expeditious inspection of exportable items. The meeting hoped that ministry of national food & security will acknowledge the contribution of horticulture exports to the national exchequer and help resolve its problems on priority. The committee also discussed the measures which could help increase horticultural sector's bilateral trade between Pakistan and China in the wake of CPEC project.