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Pakistan
fifth largest producer of dates in world
ISLAMABAD-Pakistan follows Iran, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia
on the list of the top dates producing countries with 11
percent share of the global production of this delicious
fruit.
Pakistan produced 550,000 tons of dates in 2000 but only nine
to ten per cent of the total production was exported hardly
due to lack of proper processing facilities, according to an
official of the Export Promotion Bureau.
This delicious fruit is being produced almost in the parts of
four provinces of the country but mainly in Baluchistan and
Sindh. A special kind of dates "Bakki" is being produced in
Dera Ismail Khan district.
A number of special types of dates of Baluchistan are well
known for their quality and production generally in the world
including USA and specially in Pakistan. Pakistan is fifth
largest producer of dates in world and around 480,000 tons
dates are produced annually only in Baluchistan.
Dates are important non-traditional item exportable from
Pakistan, fetching million of dollars from its export during
1999. India, USA, Canada, Australia, UK and Germany are the
principal buyers of Pakistani dates.
Makran Division had acquired tremendous importance in the
field of dates production, but is facing lack of packaging and
processing facilities for exports.
Pakistani dates, particularly those cultivated in Makran
Division, ripe in early July and are harvested by the end of
July or early August.
"Shortage of storage and processing facilities is the reason
for meagre export of dates from Pakistan" he said that two
thirds of Pakistan's total annual dates production is produced
in Baluchistan province and if it is exported to the
international market, the precious foreign exchange worth $
250 million could be earned. "But two thirds of the whole
production in Baluchistan is wasted,".
The rest one third is sold in Karachi on comparatively cheaper
rates and if this situation persists, there is no future of
this fruit in Pakistan if it was not given proper
concentration, said the official.
The construction of farm-to-market roads is need of the hour
to increase the export of dates as well as other agricultural
commodities.
It may be mentioned here that Pakistan is importing almost
22,000 tons of dates worth $5 million which is sold in various
parts of the country. "More than 900 uses of this fruit are
told and everything of date trees, from leaves to roots, is
useful," he said. "But in the country, the production of this
fruit is not better used," pointing out that just 65,000 tons
of dates are exported from Pakistan. .
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