The Ministry of Commerce (MoC) has banned export of kinnow before December 1, 2012 to ensure good quality export of the highly valued fruit while avoiding losses. The country had faced huge losses last year due to early start of exports as the consignments of kinnow were rejected by some countries.
Through an SRO No 1362.(1)/2012, issued on November 8, 2012, the MoC, while making amendments to the Export Policy Order 2009, has announced that the export of citrus hybrid (fresh kinnow) shall not be allowed before December 1. On the other hand, Waheed Ahmed, Chairman All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchant Association (PFVA) has also announced that 0.2 million tonnes export target of mandarin orange [kinnow] has been fixed for 2012-13.
The target this year is almost 0.1 million tonnes less than the previous target mainly due to reduction in production of kinnow by 20 percent lowering the total production to around 1.8 million tonnes. According to Waheed Ahmed, if the 0.2 million tonnes of fruit exported during the forthcoming season, the country would be fetching estimated revenue worth at least $110 million.
Though Iran, Indonesia, Russia, and Middle Eastern countries are the main markets for Pakistani fruits, exports to Russia and Iran are expected to be affected badly. Iranian market has been lost due to the US sanctions while exporters would be conscious about export to Russia where they had faced huge losses last year mainly because of oversupply against the existing demands, he claimed.
