ISLAMABAD, July 29: Federal Minister for Commerce Humayun Akhtar Khan on Thursday told the National Assembly that Pakistan exported fruits and vegetables worth $114.681 million to various countries in the year 2003-04.

In a written reply to a question by PML-N MNA Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasir, the minister said in the year 2002-03, Pakistan exported fruits and vegetables worth $109.650 million while in 2001-02, the export was $102.083 million.

The figures show that in the last five years, Pakistan earned maximum foreign exchange worth $118.541 million through export of fruits and vegetables in the year 1999-2000.

Giving a break-up, the minister said Pakistan earned $92.318 million through the export of fruits and $22.363 million from the export of vegetables in 2003-04. The fruits exported to different countries included kinno (tangerines) ($30.78m), apples ($61m), mangoes ($16.08m), dates ($22.14m) and oranges ($3.14m).

The figures, presented by the minister, show that though the overall export of fruits and vegetables has improved in the year 2003-04, the export of vegetables has declined if compared to last year's figure. In 2002-03, vegetables worth $26.495 million had been exported.

The minister also told the lower house that the government was taking various steps to further improve exports and 25 delegations were sent abroad to promote the export of fruits and vegetables during the last three years.

The list, titled "details of delegations", submitted by the minister shows that Pakistani delegations were sent to Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Germany, France, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, Norway, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan from 2001 to 2003.