The local government in the Pakistani province of Punjab has pledged US$3.6m to help fight fruit fly incursions within the region, according to the Express Tribune.
The move comes as the state government looks to bolster the profitability of its horticultural sector, which centres heavily on the key Sargodha production hub.
“We want to provide support to the private sector in order to enhance export volumes,” Punjab minister of agriculture Farrukh Javedtold the Express Tribune.
The government is currently working with orange and mango growers in Sargodha, along with producers in the south of the state to control the spread of fruit flies and facilitate new export deals.
With consumers across the globe growing increasingly conscious of food safety, Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry chairman Ahmad Jawad said growers and exporters from the Asian must move with the times in order to keep up with foreign competitors.
“Pakistan’s horticulture exports can only be boosted if we can develop an integrated quality system,” Jawad explained to the Express Tribune.
