20000126

Better grading,

packaging to help

boost potato

exports: LCCI chief

LAHORE: Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Mohammad Ilyas Chaudhary on Tuesday stressed the need for better grading, packaging and refrigeration facilities to help boost Pakistan's fresh produce exports like that of potatoes to the quality-conscious markets in the world.

"We have to create a setup where the export of non-traditional items especially the agri stuff is enhanced," he said while inaugurating a day-long seminar on Potato Grading an Packaging organised by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) at a hotel.

EPB Director General Mohammad Siddiqui Alvi, All Pakistan Potato Growers Association President Rao Ikram Ahmad Khan, a number of potato exporters and officials of various government departments were present on the occasion.

Pakistan exported 0.15 million tonnes of potatoes to Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries last year, earning a foreign exchange of $19 million. The expected exportable surplus this year is 0.4 million tonnes.

The LCCI chief said that the role of the agencies such as Passco and other concerned agencies was vital in the pricing policy of the government.

Speaking on the occasion, the EPB DG said that the exporters should work on the markets like Dubai, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong as these countries had great potential for potato imports from Pakistan.

"But we have to have better grading facilities to have access to these quality-conscious markets of Asia," he said.

He said the EPB would provide all sorts of financial and technical assistance in the installation of graders at Karachi and Okara if the exporters and the growers had problems in doing so themselves.

Referring to a proposal for a food processing facility to convert potato produce into powder form before its exports, he said that there should be a feasibility report on this project likely to involve a sum of Rs 700 million.

"The increase in the potato exports will ultimately benefit the growers," Alvi maintained.

Rao Ikram Ahmad Khan said that the 25 percent freight subsidy announced by the government for the potato exports should be extended up to November 30.

He said that the government should make efforts for the development of better seed of potato locally.

He also demanded special incentive package for the potato processing industry.

Manzoor Arifeen, the Chief Executive of Ice Pack Limited presented the idea of conversion of potato produce into powder to increase its ehelf life.

"The countries like the USA and Holland have already been involved in such a processing," he said.ÑAPP