News: Sindh horticulturists ask CSF for assistance
Name of Newspaper: The Post
Date of Publication: Saturday, 19 July, 2008
URL:http://thepost.com.pk/Arc_IsbNews.aspx?dtlid=173201&catid=17&date=07/20/2008&fcatid=14

Associated Press of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The horticulturists of Sindh Province have sought the help of Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF) to enhance and improve the quality of their products to the market.

The delegation comprised Mehmood Nawaz Shah, General Secretary of Sindh Abadgar Board and Ghulam Sarwar a progressive horticulture farmer from Sindh on Saturday asked the CSF to provide technical assistance.

They said that approximately 1.7 million tons of mangoes are produced in Pakistan of which less than 5 percent are exported at some of the lowest prices in the world.

There was a need to add value to mangoes in the areas where they are grown in Pakistan, "We need the help of CSF in establishing a value added mango processing facility in Tando Allah Yar in Sindh", they added.

Arthur Bayhan, Chief Executive Officer of the CSF said that within the framework of the existing MOU signed with the government of Sindh, the CSF is launching a new initiative jointly with the Sindh government to help the mango, dates and bananas industry segments to upgrade their physical infrastructure for better processing of the products. The initiative is planned to be a public private partnership so that the beneficiaries take ownership, he added.

Pakistan currently exports 170 million dollars horticultural products which CSF aims to increase to 1 billion dollars by 2012 through its support to the Task Force on Horticulture Finance and Competitiveness, he said. He informed that only 16 per cent of fruits are processed in Pakistan and this can be enhanced exponentially as there are great opportunities to augment the volume of value added products using modern technology, he added.

Currently there are an estimated 6,638 tons of fruit is processed in Pakistan with citrus topping the list with 1,944 tons, followed by mangoes with 1,675 tons, dates with 622 tons and banana with 158 tons, he added. These are located in all four provinces with 4,197 tons produced in Punjab, 983 in Balochistan, 945 in Sindh and 513 in NWFP.