ISLAMABAD, March 7: Pakistan’s annual horticulture export stood at $140 million in 2004-05 in the international market which absorbed goods worth $79 billion, highlighting a need for the development of an extensive marketing strategy to increase the country’s share in a lucrative market.

Official statistics available with Dawn indicated that Pakistan’s horticulture export remained stagnant between $100 million and $150 million during the last few years. The horticulture export share in total export of the country stood at just one per cent.

The share of fresh fruits stood at $98 million out of total $140 million horticulture export, while fresh vegetables worth $36 million were exported during the year under review.

Of total fresh fruits export, the share of citrus was 30 per cent, mango 23 per cent, dates 22 per cent and banana one per cent. The share of other fruits in export stood at 24 per cent.

Out of total export of vegetables, the share of onion was 17 per cent, potato 15 per cent, tomato 0.5 per cent and other vegetables 67 per cent.

The statistics revealed that of the total $79 billion world horticulture market, the share of fruits stood at $32 billion, vegetables $30 billion, juices $6 billion, flowers $7 billion and bulbs $4 billion. Moreover, the total world export of fresh fruits stood at $22 billion and fresh vegetables at $14 billion.

Among the major horticulture products, Pakistan produces 2.82 per cent citrus fruit out of the total world production, 10.65 per cent dates, 4.02 per cent mango, 2.62 per cent onion, 0.49 per cent potato, 7.72 per cent lentils/pulses and 0.74 per cent peas.

The export figures showed that the percentage share of Pakistan’s fresh fruits in the total world market was also below the existing potentials. Under fresh fruits, Pakistan’s export of mandarins stood at 8.50 per cent of the total production, mango 7.34 per cent, apple 0.03 per cent, dates 15.33 per cent, banana 4.14 per cent, grapes 0.79 per cent and pear 0.09 per cent.