Pakistan’s exporters are threatening to halt all exports of the country’s kinnow mandarins as part of an ongoing dispute with customs officials.
Peak industry body the All Pakistan Vegetable and Fruit Exporters Association (APVFEA) said on Saturday customs officials at the Port of Karachi began 100 per cent examinations of kinnow shipments in November.
The examinations, which exporters say have been damaging fruit quality, run counter to regulations introduced in 2007 by Pakistan’s Federal Board of Review that exempt fresh produce exports from such inspection in order to maintain a 2.2°C cool chain.
“Under an agreement with `the` APVFEA, customs officials are duty bound not to search any refrigerator containers loaded with vegetables and fruits which are kept at specific cool environment to maintain their quality and standard in line with the demand of importers from across the world,” the APVFEA’s former chairman Abdul Wahid told local media.
Exporters have received complaints about quality from buyers in nearby markets such as Dubai and Sri Lanka, reported the Daily Times, indicating complaints from more distant markets in Europe are almost guaranteed.
“Since our agents are disallowed presence during the examination process, we are in total dark as to how long the reefer containers are left open and unattended and how the de-stuffing and re-stuffing process is carried out by the un-skilled labourers,” said Wahid.
Financial losses, as well as a loss of reputation, from the 100 per cent examinations prompted the APVFEA to announce on Saturday it would halt all kinnow exports if customs officials did not revert to previous practices.
Pakistan’s industry has set itself a target of 300,000 tonnes of kinnow exports this season, the largest ever. The country’s kinnow exports are worth around US$200m a year, reported the Daily Times.
