Azeem Ahmed Khan

Recognizing the federal and Punjab governments’ commitment to supporting the citrus sector, Waheed Ahmed, Patron-in-Chief of Pakistan Fruit and Vegetables Exporters and Merchants Association (PFVA), has called for urgent introduction of new citrus varieties and greater investment in research and development to help boost the fruit’s production and exports.

“Pakistan’s kinnow sector is facing a severe crisis due to climate change and the continued reliance on a decades-old variety, raising fears of a complete collapse in exports within the next three years, if urgent measures are not taken,” he cautioned while talking to Wealth Pakistan.

“Pakistan needs to introduce three to four new citrus varieties to remain competitive and to extend the export season from the current three months to six to eight months,” Waheed said. Kinnow-producing countries grow multiple varieties, which allows them to extend their export periods, but we have failed to introduce any parallel variety, he noted.

“We need to sustain this industry for at least 5-8 months—from October through April to May— because the citrus window varies from one market to another in the world and we should take advantage of this,” he explained.

According to Waheed, Pakistan’s export value has plummeted from $225 million three years ago to just $80-90 million this year. He said half of the value-added factories have closed down because the kinnow variety being grown is more than 60 years old and no longer capable of resisting diseases or adapting to changing weather conditions. He pointed out that globally, no fruit variety lasts beyond 25 years, yet Pakistan has not taken timely steps to upgrade.

He said that climate change has worsened the situation, with regular smog and fog cutting kinnow’s production by up to 35%. “Prolonged heat and the delayed arrival of winters are also badly affecting the sweetness, moisture, and quality of kinnow, not only hitting exports but also pushing up local prices,” he added. “This is just the beginning; in the future, the impact on production will be even greater,” he warned.

The PFVA patron-in-chief suggested hiring an international consultant, developing state-of-the-art nurseries, and introducing laws to control the spread of diseases. “The nursery issue exists because there is no modern system, and the diseases spread from there.”

Waheed emphasised the need to introduce seedless kinnow, oranges, lemons, and grapefruits to regain competitiveness in global markets. “Our kinnow has become a class-2 category fruit, with too many seeds and blemished skin,” he observed.

He stated that out of 250 kinnow processing factories in the country, half have already shut down, endangering the livelihoods of 300,000 workers and putting an investment of Rs300 billion at risk.

He noted that major international markets have started closing their doors to Pakistani kinnow, while the demand for Pakistan’s smaller-sized kinnow in Russia has also reduced.

Credit: INP-WealthPk