Russia has temporarily lifted its ban on Pakistani kinnow exports for this season, the Tribune reports.
The development comes after extensive talks between the two governments, following Russia’s ban on agricultural imports from Pakistan in September.
Restrictions on potato imports from Pakistan are set to remain in place until the relevant phytosanitary issues can be resolved.
Russian officials are set to visit Pakistan in January 2014 for an inspection of facilities and to evaluate quarantine methods and practices.
The lift on the kinnow ban has been extremely welcome for the Pakistani industry, as Russia is one of their biggest export markets for kinnow.
According to the Nation, the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA) has now set a kinnow export target of 300,000 tonnes for this season.
This represents more than 10 per cent of the total forecast crop of 2.1m tonnes.
It is also a significant increase from last season’s 200,000 tonne target, and actual total of 235,000 tonnes exported.
PFVA spokesperson Waheed Ahmed put the growth down to an expected increase in exports to Russia, a leading kinnow market, and Indonesia, which has signed a preferential trade agreement to bolster business with Pakistan.
Pakistan could expect to see more than US$180m in revenue if the 300,000 tonne export target for kinnow is reached, Ahmed added.
Exports were set to have commenced on 1 December.
