LAHORE, Jan 8: Pakistan has exported 1,538 containers of kinno in this December against 1,084 containers during the corresponding period last year. The exported fruit weigh 38,102 ton whereas last year the export was of 28,597 ton. According to Afaq Tiwana of the Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board (PHDEB), bumper crop in the country and opening up of new export markets have made the increase possible. Kinno production has increased substantially this year; it may go up to 2.5 million ton against 1.7 million ton last year.

He said: “Fruit size has remained small because of big yield but luckily most of the export markets are demanding medium size citrus. So, size has not created any problem so far.”

He said the medium size had increased shelf life of fruit, which could prove a big advantage for exporters who now had more time to send the fruit to world market.

He said Dubai and the UAE were topping the list, followed by Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and Iran. In fact, Iran would prove to be a big bonanza by the end of the season, though export to it was still gathering pace.

Mr Tiwana said Iran had included transportation time of fruit, if spent in reefers at a certain temperature in the cold treatment package. For the purpose, exporters needed special reefer containers and that what was delaying the process.

He said Iran would soon be receiving citrus in a big way, thus pushing export figures substantially up, he said.

Hopefully, China would also open up soon. A delegation of Minfal and PHDEB is currently in China for trade talks and citrus export is one of their main topics, Mr. Tiwana claimed.

A Chinese team has recently visited Pakistan to inspect cold stores as well.