Azeem Ahmed Khan

Pakistan’s fruit and vegetable exporters have expressed cautious optimism following the reopening of the Iran transit route, raising hopes for uninterrupted shipments of potatoes and a bumper Kinnow crop to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) markets.

Patron-in-Chief of the All Pakistan Fruit & Vegetable Exporters, Importers & Merchants Association, Waheed Ahmed, told Wealth Pakistan that the potato sector has largely remained unaffected by this year’s floods. “The floods had no impact on the potato crop as the produce was already in cold storage after harvesting at the time,” he said.

He noted that the new potato crop has just begun arriving and that even a minor 5–10 percent impact on the fresh crop would not disrupt local market supplies.

Pakistan’s major potato and Kinnow exports are destined for CIS states, but the 50-day closure of the Afghan border has left the sector struggling. “We were unable to make supplies, which led to a negative impact on local rates,” he explained.

With the Iran transit corridor now reopened, exporters are preparing to ramp up shipments. “Once exports resume, we need at least 8–10 trawlers daily. Had this route not reopened, the situation would have been extremely difficult,” Waheed said.

He pointed out that smaller-sized Kinnow, which dominates during bumper harvests, has limited local demand. “Pakistan does not have a large market for small-sized Kinnow. Our biggest markets are CIS countries and Russia. If this route had remained closed, more than 50 percent of small Kinnow would have gone unsold.”

However, while the reopening of the corridor has brought relief, freight charges have surged sharply. “The rent of a reefer container was 120 million Toman just ten days ago; it has now doubled to 240 million Toman because transporters know exporters urgently need containers,” he said, urging Islamabad to take up the issue with Tehran.

Despite the challenges, Waheed struck an optimistic note. “Our first priority is security, but I request both Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve this issue because we simply want the supply chain to keep moving.”

The Kinnow season began on December 1, and Waheed said Pakistan is witnessing a bumper crop this year, though the quality and shelf life remain unchanged from last year. He warned that Pakistan’s decades-old Kinnow variety urgently needs replacement due to its declining export competitiveness.

“The 500,000 to 550,000 tonnes we used to export in the past fell to 250,000 tonnes last year, and it may decline further if corrective measures are not taken,” he cautioned.

He also expressed concern over the shrinking marketing window. “Pakistan once had a Kinnow season stretching from October to May. Now it has reduced to just two to three months,” he said.

The prolonged closure of the Afghan border also delayed harvesting and slowed factory operations by limiting Kinnow availability in local markets. Waheed said that more than 300 processing factories and around 450,000 workers depend on the Kinnow sector, which is currently under severe strain. “Factories have opened very late, only eight to nine days ago,” he noted.

Even established exporters are stepping back, Waheed said, citing his own experience. “We established our factory in 1995, but this is the third year I have not exported because I do not want to risk my brand and reputation.”

He said many others are shifting to alternative businesses, particularly in Sargodha and Bhalwal, where the Kinnow economy dominates. Without alternate economic activity in these regions, he warned, the consequences could be severe for workers who rely solely on seasonal citrus earnings.

Waheed underscored the urgent need to develop new Kinnow varieties with longer shelf life to meet the requirements of distant markets. He said the Punjab government had allocated Rs1.4 billion for the development of new Kinnow varieties and held a meeting in March, but no tangible progress has been made so far.

He urged the government to bring in both international and local consultants, strictly enforce nursery standards, and invest in disease-free plant stock. “If this work is done, we will have new production areas and improved varieties,” he said.

Credit: INP-WealthPk