Staff Reporter
Karachi
The prospects of opening the African market for Pakistani Mangoes and Kinnow have been brightened. Gateway if easy African market, Kenya’s Quarantine Department has issued a directive to allow import of Pakistani mangoes and Kinnow and expedite quarantine agreements between the two countries.
On the eve of the Pakistan Africa Trade Conference in Nairobi, Kenya’s officials and importers met with Pakistani exporters of fruit and vegetable to discuss ways and means to enhance trade of fruits and vegetables, specially to sign quarantine agreements between the two countries. According to Waheed Ahmed, Patron in chief of the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association, which represents the Fruit and Vegetable Exporters in the Pakistani delegation, Kenya’s quarantine authorities have visited Pakistan and reviewed the processing of Mangoes and Kinnow with the quarantine system in Pakistan.
In this regard, the Pakistani Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of National Food Security and Research has also completed its homework and sent it to Kenyan authorities. At a meeting in Nairobi, Kenyan officials said that recommendations for the Pakistan-Africa quarantine agreement have been forwarded to the Kenyan government, whose approval would begin importing mangoes and canoes from Pakistan.
According to Waheed Ahmed, Kenya is the gateway to East Africa and can become a good market for Pakistan’s Mangoes and Kinnow. If the quarantine agreement is reached, Pakistan will get a better market from next season which could become a stable market in the next three years. Kenya is a good market for citrus, which is also importing from Morocco, Egypt and other countries, while there is no local Mango available in summer in Kenya, so there are plenty of opportunities for Pakistani king of fruits. Kenya’s private sector has also expressed interest in strengthening relations with Pakistan in horticulture sector.
Exporters in Kenya have expressed interest to get hot water treatment technology from Pakistan. According to Waheed Ahmed, hot water treatment technology has been made common in Pakistan by the efforts of PFVA. Pakistan will provide hot water treatment technology to Kenya’s private sector, there will be follow-up meetings in the private sector of the two countries soon. Waheed Ahmed said now ball is in the court of Kenya but we have to follow them. He urged Pakistani authorities to sign a quarantine deal with Kenya as soon as possible and if the Pakistani embassy in Nairobi remains vibrant, exports to Kenya will be launched from the coming season of Mango, which will help boost exports.
