The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), under the Ministry of Commerce, is set to dispatch a 13 member trade delegation of Dates exporters to Bangladesh, following the directives of the esteemed Director General of the Agro and Food Division at TDAP. This initiative aims to bolster the presence of Pakistani dates in the Bangladeshi market, particularly ahead of the upcoming month of Ramadan.
Pakistan is recognized as one of the top 10 date producers globally, boasting an impressive average annual production of 530,000 tons. The country exports fresh dates to various markets, including the USA, Canada, France, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the UAE. With the capacity to supply a larger volume of high-quality dates and diverse by-products—including pitted/un-pitted whole dates, pressed date bricks, date syrup, and date paste—this delegation represents a strategic opportunity for exporters to penetrate the lucrative Bangladesh dates market.
Bangladesh is emerging as a promising market for Pakistani dates. In 2023, the country was lead importer of dates from various global sources, yet Pakistan’s contribution was a modest, constituting only 10% of her total imports. Given that Pakistan’s date exports worldwide reached $47,265 thousand in 2023, there exists ample room for growth by expanding into the Bangladeshi Dates market.
Recently, the Consul General of Bangladesh visited the TDAP office, where he was briefed on the potential of Pakistani agriculture products. He expressed a strong interest in importing dates from Pakistan, signaling a positive outlook for bilateral trade. The delegation of Dates exporters is scheduled to visit Bangladesh in January.
