With quantity and quality improving, this season has been good for kinnow exports. Farmers and exporters are optimistic that the total quantum, which has already crossed a healthy figure of 300,000 tonnes, might increase by another 50,000 tonnes in the remaining two weeks of the season.

In value, the figures sound even better: earnings have already crossed $200m, and more money is on its way with consignments currently being loaded for exports.

Last year, the kinnow crop had suffered because of quality issues. The government officials, exporters and farmers all joined hands to deal with the issue successfully.

According to farmers, this year they harvested almost 60pc, of what they call, A-Grade fruits, against last year’s 47pc. The exporters did not compromise on quality even to permissible level though canker affliction is allowed up to 2pc. They brought it down to 0pc at the packaging stage.

A major boost in export came from the Afghan market, which is estimated to have consumed half of foreign sales this year

Such steps helped get better returns as no, or negligible, deductions were made by foreign exporters on the quality issue. Though final figures are still being calculated, farmers think that yield must have increased by 10pc, and quality even more, helped by the weather.

The fruit started gaining colour by the end of November, against last year’s mid-December and exports started in the first week of December. The February rains that usually waste 10 to 15 days of picking and packaging, also came late this year. What turned out to be even more beneficial was it rained precisely, according to the forecast of the metrological office, allowing farmers to plan ahead of time.

Major boost in export came from the Afghan market, which is estimated to have consumed half of foreign sales of kinnow this year. Though officially bound for Afghanistan, many consignments went right up to Central Asian state. Afghanistan became the transit for supplies to the former Soviet states.

Russia remained a robust market. The presence of Pakistani exporters is increasing there — as big horticulture exporters are now setting up their own offices there — mainly to deal with issues related to repatriation of money. This may facilitate exports — so far of mainly potato and kinnow — to other Central Asian states, and expand Pakistan’s share in markets like Ukraine. From the Far East, main buyers were from Malaysia and Indonesia. For the first time, exporters were able to send consignments to Iraq.

This year’s exports have fully demonstrated that the foreign markets have appetite for quality fruits and are ready to pay for it as well.

Published in Dawn, Economic & Business March 16th , 2015

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