ISLAMABAD, July 25 – Pakistani Minister of National Food Security and Research, Tariq Bashir Cheema, announced on Monday afternoon that the government had succeeded to resolve 12 years long pending issue of market access of cherries exports from Pakistan to China.
General Administrations of Customs, China (GACC) confirmed the Department of Plant Protection (DPP), Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R), that Pakistani businessmen could export cherries to China from DPP registered orchards and Packhouses, said an official statement issued here.
“This marks a huge success towards boosting exports of Pakistani cherries and the overall economy of the country”, Cheema emphasized in the statement.
The focus courtesy of Tariq Basheer Cheema and Federal Secretary MNFS&S, Zafar Hassan regarding cherries exports and bringing exports quality to global standards was the prime factor behind this success.
Their visionary leadership and determined efforts to widen the export base of Pakistani fruits manifested in seeking market access for cherries, showed the statement.
This market access request was pending since 2012, it added.
GACC, after video inspection of quarantine procedures, registered orchards, cold treatment facilities and Packhouses registered with DPP with respect to sanitary and phytosanitary measures, allowed export of cherries in accordance with agreed protocol.
Department of Plant Protection took special steps to upgrade register orchards, Cold treatment facilities and packhouses as per requirements of GACC.
Tireless efforts including guidance, repeated technical compliance audits were put in this direction by DPP to ensure and enable these orchards and facilities to export cherries through improvement in food safety and phytosanitary measures besides quality, storage and packaging.
Now, 90 cherry orchards and 15 cold treatment facilities and Packhouses can export cherries to China.
This is a huge achievement of Pakistan government where Department of Plant Protection under the MNFSR in close collaboration with Ministry of Commerce, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), Gilgit-Baltistan Rural Support Programme (GBRSP), Agriculture Department Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Chamber of Commerce GB became able to pitch achieved this market access for cherries exports to China.
This brings good news especially to the farmers of GB, as their main source of earning is based on this fruit.
Moreover, Pakistan being the agrarian economy can also look for enhancing exports in other domains as well by improving quality standards as per global markets.
This agreement opens a gateway to further exports to international markets given the quality standards remain sound.
Further, up-gradation of more orchards and facilities are in pipeline with DPP, to make them at par with international standards in order to achieve major shares in high end markets of Asia, Europe, United State of America (USA) and Australia and obtain their registration for export to China also.
