KARACHI, Nov 17: Exporters forecast 15-20 per cent more earnings from kinno exports this fiscal despite the fact that the issue of over-valuation of kinno by Indonesia has so far remained unresolved.

The commerce ministry and the Export Promotion Bureau have already taken up the matter with the Indonesian customs but no progress has been achieved so far, exporters said on Monday.

An official at the EPB also said that the matter of over-valuation by Indonesian, which enjoys 25-30 per cent shares out of total exports, was still not resolved despite several attempts by the Pakistani government.

He said reminders were being sent regularly to the Indonesian government and even the Ambassador of Pakistan in Indonesia had already put up the case.

“Exporters will have to send kinno to Indonesia despite the increase in duty by the Indonesian customs as the duty hike is not restricted to Pakistan only. Besides, Indonesia is a main market,” Fruits Vegetables Processors and Exporters Association chairman Mateen Siddiqui said.

He said the government had still time to send reminders as exports to Indonesia will start from the last week of November.

Under the new rule, kinno will be assessed at $10 per kg instead of $3 per kg, which would result in additional payment of $3,346 per containers. Despite this problem, he said, Pakistan’s kinno export was expected to fetch $25-26 million (125,000 tons) in 2003-04 as compared to $21 million (94,000 tons) in 2002-03.

Mr Mateen has projected the increase in export earnings on the basis of bumper crop, demand from the Far East and the entry of new exporters.

Exports of kinno in 2001-02 stood at $20 million (118,371 tons). Pakistan fetched good price of kinno in 2002-03 despite lesser exports in quantity terms on account of crop damage in February this year due to heavy rains and sandstorm in Punjab.

As a result of current bumper crop, he said, the commodity might be available at cheaper rates for the consumers and many exporters will enter into the export business this season.

Kinno has arrived in the markets and the city government has fixed the retail rate of Rs16 per dozen. Mr Mateen said exports of kinno had started following a shipment of 20-25 containers to Colombo. He said the Philippines had already allowed three exporters to resume kinno shipments.

As far as the issue of exports in wooden/paper cartons is concerned, he said, the commerce ministry has already informed the EPB about non-acceptance of kinno and other fruits in wooden crates from September 2003. Sri Lanka has already allowed the grace period of three years for sending kinno shipment in wooden crates that expired on September this year. From this year, fruits would be accepted in paper carton boxes.

Kinno is currently exported both in paper cartons and wooden crates as per countries’ requirement. Mr Mateen said Singapore and the Philippines accepted shipments in paper cartons only, while kinno was exported in wooden crates to Dubai, Malaysia and Indonesia.

General secretary, Pakistan Apple and Citrus Board, Zaheer Ahmed, also said the crop was good this year and quality of fruit had further improved due to rains in Punjab.

Almost half of kinno exports are destined to Southeast Asian markets — Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Of the remaining half, Dubai was the leading market followed by Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Europe.

The Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board has been holding several meetings with the exporters so that exports could be enhanced. In the last meeting on November 7, the exporters advised that for exploring new markets delegations should be sent to Russia and Vietnam during the current harvest season.