KARACHI: Pakistan is expected to accomplish up to 3 lac tones of onion export goal by the end of next month thus equaling 10 year old record of similar export volumes of the vegetable.
The achievement is stupendous in the sense that every year out of total 8 to 10 lacs tones of annual yield, the export target remains confined to around one lacs tones. Ironically, previous year, it had come to a virtual halt on account of devastation of Sindh Crop by unexpected heavy winter rain forcing the government to rely on heavy and sustained import from India lasting for more than 4 to 5 months. During the period, Pakistan had to import more than 2 lacs tones of the onion from India to cater domestic requirement resulting in colossal loss to the national exchequer amounting to billions of rupees.
For the good fortune of the country’s onion exporters, large volume of Indian crop was devastated by the winter rain some 3 months again providing open field to local exporters to exploit the opportunity by catering requirements of other countries of the region which traditionally rely on Indian yield. It may be recalled here country’s onion export kicked off from October following bumper Sindh crop as exporters received bulk orders from traditional importers from Singapore, Sri Lanka, Gulf countries, Malaysia and Bangladesh.
Haji Shahjahan, who is regarded as leading onion exporter replying to a query the scribe acknowledged that current years export has brought great fortune for the Pakistani exports in terms of more than anticipated export targets enriching their fortunes in the process besides fetching invaluable foreign currency to the national exchequer.
He admitted the Indian onion is more popular in Gulf markets and other countries of the region on account of their comparatively lower rates and better quality but the unexpected prolonged winter rain in the onion cultivated areas of Indian Punjab provided an ample opportunity to local exporters to exploit the situation to their best advantage.
Initially in the months of October and November, the rates of onion stood in the range of $ 250 to $ 300 per metric tones but later during the current month, due to its shortage in the international market, they surged to the level of $ 350 to $ 400 per metric tones.
During the last few months, around 300 containers are sent to Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka through sea route on weekly basis while for Dubai, Bangladesh and other Gulf countries besides sea route, services of launches are also utilized for transportation of onion as it is relatively considered one of the cheapest modes. In response to a question, Haji Shahjahan, hoped that in view of local bumper crop, the domestic requirements of the onion would be fulfilled through huge local production currently stored by the farmers and growers in their godowns. “During the current year, the country would be spared from importing huge quantity of Indian onion which provided adequate opportunities to Indian farmers to sale their yield at very high cost to Pakistani consumers” he added.
Source : Daily Times