KARACHI: After missing the kinno export target for three consecutive years, the country has finally met the goal by exporting 0.2 million tonnes of the produce this season.

During the past four months, Pakistan exported 221,000 tonnes of the citrus fruit worth $132.70 million.

While further export of around 10,000 to 15,000 tonnes is expected in the remaining 20 days of this season making the final export figure to around 230,000 tonnes, Chairman All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchant Association (PFVA), Waheed Ahmed said in a statement on Friday.

The country had exported 225,000 tonnes of kinno in previous season.

He said that the Commerce Ministry had banned kinno exports before December 2012 to avoid losses through export of poor quality of fruit and this step helped meeting export target.

In this season around 40 per cent of export went to Russia while the rest to the traditional buyers including Gulf countries, Bangladesh, Eastern Europe, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Canada, Malaysia and others, the press release said.

“However, the loss of Iranian market as a result of US sanctions and following reluctance in issuing E-form by Pakistani banks caused loss of a lucrative market of 80,000 tonnes depriving Pakistan $40 million of foreign exchange earning,” the PFVA statement added.

“Meanwhile, the Indonesian market also remains untapped despite an already signed preferential trade agreement waiting for the finalisation of some formalities.

“Indonesia can potentially be a market of 54,000 tonnes but the current export level is nowhere near it in the absence of implementation of the trade agreement between the two countries,” Ahmed lamented.