The quality problems that plagued Pakistan’s kinnow export programmes over the 2015/16 season are seemingly a distant memory, as the industry optimistically builds towards the start of a new campaign in early December.
“The 2017 crop looks much better in terms of fruit quality and sizing, although the volume is little bit less then 2016,” said Hassan Arshad of grower-shipper Arshad & Co.
“Last year we had some quality issues but this year we are not facing these kind of issues. If 40 per cent of the crop was impacted last year than a max five per cent is impacted this year.”
Neil Barker, managing director of BGP International, shares this optimism, suggesting there is potential for “bigger fruit size and probably an earlier start” this season. Australian-headquartered BGP markets Pakistan kinnows for leading grower-packer Shaheen Citrus.
Barker said demand for Pakistani kinnows is growing across Asia, although the trade faces some challenges in one of its most promising markets, Indonesia. Along with the uncertainty and higher costs that stem from Indonesia’s contentious import quota system, Barker said a laboratory testing issue means Pakistani kinnows are currently prohibited from entering the South East Asian nation in December and January.
“Fortunately the issue has been resolved and shipments can be made direct to Jakarta, arriving February, March and hopefully April,” Barker told Fruitnet. “The Pakistan industry has made strong representations to the Indonesian government in discussions with the Indonesian Ambassador to Pakistan, however, at this stage there has been no indication of a change in the entry requirements for 2016/17.”
Meanwhile, Pakistani suppliers will be vying to win-back market share in Iran, traditionally a key market for the industry. The Middle East nation has not issued import permits to Pakistani exporters over recent seasons, in a bid to protect its growing domestic production base. Shahid Sultan, director of Zahid Kinnow Grading & Waxing, is optimistic some Pakistani fruit will enter the market this season.
“Iranian’s commerce minister has promises with our government to issue import permits,” Sultan said. “This season I hope they issue 30,000 tonnes of import permits, and allow us to ship fruit by sea. This will not damage their local production.”
