Staff Reporter
Karachi
Secretary General (Federal) FPCCI’s Businessmen Panel (BMP), Ahmad Jawad has said that the country needs certified nurseries for fruit saplings to not only improve fruit yield but also clinch competitive costs for its products in the international market.
Talking to group of exporters via video link on Thursday; Ahmad Jawad said although the horticulture sector contributes about 12 per cent to the national agriculture induced GDP but its volume of exports remains relatively low. This could be adequately addressed through series of doable and affordable interventions,” he said and identified certified nurseries for fruit saplings as a basic requirement.
These, he emphasized could only help provide good quality true-to-type trees for healthy orchards but also lead to better output essential to increase country exports of non traditional items.
The SG FPCCI’s BMP in this context, particularly referred to Pakistan’s horticulture goods exports to China and claimed that it holds the potential to reach $1 billion.
There exist bright chances for enhancement of horticulture trade between the two countries under the One Belt and One Road Initiative (BRI),” he said.
Reiterating that Pakistan could export fruits, vegetables and value added products worth $1 billion to China in the next five years, Jawad said Belt Road Initiative, encompassing both roads and ports infrastructure could widen Pakistan’s access to new markets.
