Pakistan’s underdeveloped fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain could receive a shot in the arm over the next five years under a Rs2.229bn (US$25m) project to establish controlled atmosphere (CA) facilities across the country.
Plans for the project, which were reported in Pakistan’s Daily Times newspaper on Saturday, call for the establishment of modern CA and refrigerated storage facilities across key cities, including Pehsawar, Quetta, Gilgit and Multan.
While CA is a commonly used technique for extending the shelf life of fresh produce beyond that of traditional storage methods, it is virtually non-existent in Pakistan, where some 25-40 per cent of fruit and vegetables are reportedly damaged during the post-harvest process due to a lack of suitable infrastructure.
Chinese sources are set to play a major role in the new project, both in terms of funding and construction. The Chinese government is expected to provide a grant of R1.862 (US$22m) for the scheme, with local parties contributing a further Rs366.88 (US$4.2m). The CA facilities will be constructed in collaboration with specialist company Beijing Fruitong Sciences and Technology Co, which will provide the machinery and installation. Chinese experts are also expected to train Pakistani scientists and engineers to operate and maintain the technology, the Pakistan Daily reported.
While Pakistan’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture will sponsor the project, the newspaper added, the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council Islamabad will be charged with executing it. Once the facilities are established, private sector parties will be invited to operate them.
A wide range of Pakistan’s fresh fruit and vegetable products are expected to benefit from the programme, which is scheduled to take the next five years to complete (2010-2015). Under the plan, CA facilities will be set up in Peshawar, Quetta and Multan, each with a storage capacity of around 5,000 tonnes, while in Gilit a smaller facility dedicated to storing cherries will be established with a storage capacity of 1,000 tonnes. Storage facilities with advanced refrigeration systems will also be set up for handling potatoes in Okara, Daska and Karachi.
Once the project is completed, it should help to reduce post-harvest losses on fruit and vegetables while boosting Pakistan’s food security, self-reliance and fruit export trade, sources told the Pakistan Daily.
