October 03, 2007	Wednesday	Ramazan 20, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Oct 2: A host of managerial issues have severely damaged the prospects of Pakistan to enjoy comparative edge over other countries in the global citrus market.

Sources in the federal food ministry and Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board (PHDEB) believe that besides an uncertain growth history, mushrooming administrative problems have been haunting the growth prospects of the country’s kinno export.

Even some of the most optimists amongst a group of policymakers, who once believed that Pakistan would reap many benefits under the WTO to increase the volume and quality of its kinno exports, have now started thinking differently.

In the last few years, Pakistani kinno has claimed a share in some of the prominent citrus markets worldwide including Russia, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Iran, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Ukraine and Mauritania.

However, certain managerial problems are keeping the Pakistani citrus fruit blessed with many special traits, from taking off as for as consumers’ demands and international best practices are concerned.

Sources in the federal ministry of food, agriculture and livestock (Minfal) told Dawn that Pakistan was facing difficulties in keeping a grip on its existing kinno markets due to the lack of proper plant protection measures to avoid pests and diseases and poor plant protection coverage that create favourable conditions for pests and diseases.

According to the PHDEB sources excessive carbohydrates and mineral elements depletion due to retention of fruit on tree beyond its maturity is on the top of a list of problems Pakistani kinno export is facing at present.

According to the Horticulture Research Station, Sahiwal, in Pakistan fertilisers are inadequately applied to exhausted plants, particularly the weaker plants after heavy fruit crop during preceding year.

Weather calamity hit Pakistani kinno frequently mostly in the form of severe frost persisting at the critical stage of flower-bud differentiation.

Excessive low temperature also causes death to stigma (the terminal part of the ovary) at the end of the style, where deposited pollen enters gynoecium.

Although natural and genetic factors are difficult to control, however, management factor, if handled carefully, could minimise their impact and ensure better crop during the lean cycle.