India and Pakistan should set aside their disagreements and present a united front when it comes to marketing mangoes abroad, a leading Pakistani fruit exporter has suggested.
Ahmad Jawad, CEO of Islamabad-based Harvest Tradings, told Fruitnet.com that both countries could benefit from a coordinated export approach since, combined, their two seasons span 8-9 months of the year.
The potential gains from increased economic integration between India and Pakistan are large, he said. India's mango season lasts from March to June, while Pakistan's begins in June and ends in October.
Jawad added that more should be done to boost the trade of fruit between the two countries: a move that could potentially generate billions of dollars and help diffuse long-standing cross-border tensions.
'Even though both countries are members of the South Asia Free Trade Area (Safta) established in January 2006, trade between the two countries is unnaturally small, and the scope for gains from increased trade correspondingly large,' he told Fruitnet.com.
India-Pakistan trade could increase up to 50 times its current level if existing barriers –such as visa restrictions and rules governing sea shipments – were removed, and new measures – like increased air links between the two countries and additional road border crossings – were introduced, Jawad said.
Businessmen on both sides of the border broadly support the idea of bilateral trade liberalisation, he added, explaining thatincreasing trade would significantly raise GDP and household incomes in both countries.
'Trade will of course not solve all the problems between the countries, but it could be an important catalyst in lowering tensions, which has to be in the interest of both India and Pakistan,' Jawad concluded.
