The Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC), under the guidance of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), held a significant stakeholders’ consultative meeting at TDAP’s Karachi office.
The meeting was presided over by Secretary TDAP, Mr. Sheryar Taj, and attended by PHDEC Board Members, Horticulture Sector Experts, Chief Executive Officer, PHDEC, the PHDEC agriculture and project teams, and key stakeholders from the horticulture industry.
The session featured comprehensive discussions on PHDEC’s ongoing and future initiatives, as well as valuable suggestions from sector experts and the Board to refine the Company’s strategy under TDAP’s leadership. Key points of deliberation and proposals for initiatives and strategies included:
1. Value addition in horticulture through FoodAg manufacturing exhibition. Foreign companies and top Pakistani companies to participate in food processing machinery in the Expo being organised by TDAP in Lahore during 26 to 28 Feb, 2025.
2. All Provincial governments to be taken on board for implementation of the horticulture business plan. Each provincial action plan will be made in coordination with the respective Agriculture department.
3. Enhancing yield of key horticulture exports to be top priority of the Company.
The prime focus will be on citrus, olives and industrial tomatoes. Similarly value addition initiatives have been taken by PHDEC by investing in installation of a drying mangoes unit in Multan University. Similar units will be installed in other parts of the country with focus on value added exports of strawberries, apples, bananas, grapes etc.
4. Horticulture export development shows, will be held in all the provincial capitals and in Islamabad.
Seminars and workshops will be held across the country for creating awareness on a) Crop outlook and export targets/markets b) Post harvest handling & storage Processing, Packaging & logistics
5. Olive oil machinery companies will be invited from all major olive oil export countries of the Mediterranean region in the FoodAg Manufacturing expo for transfer of technology for the development of the olive oil production in the country.
6. Business delegations related to dates and other major fruits will be sent to Bangladesh which has opened up for Pakistan with huge potential of exports of horticulture products.
Secretary TDAP, Mr. Sheryar Taj, emphasized aligning initiatives with TDAP’s strategic objectives to ensure sustainable growth. He stressed to address challenges and unlock the full potential of Pakistan’s horticulture exports.
CEO PHDEC, reiterated PHDEC’s unwavering commitment to creating market linkages, addressing value chain gaps, and promoting innovative agricultural technologies and practices. The meeting concluded on a positive note, with the commitment to achieve Pakistan’s export targets and ensure the horticulture sector’s sustained growth.
