KARACHI (March 14 2004): Pakistan and Iran are to sign a protocol for allowing export of fruits and vegetables to Iran which were hitherto banned due to hygienic conditions.

The protocol to be signed in Islamabad next week will initially pave the way for export of Pakistani citrus fruit to Iran. It would be later extended to mango and other fruits and vegetables.

An Iranian delegation comprising of Chief of the Quarantine Department and Deputy Director of Agriculture is due to arrive in Karachi on Saturday for the signing.

Earlier, an Iranian Quarantine expert Dr Raza Asghari visited the fruits processing plants and cold storage and the quarantine facilities available to the fruits and vegetable meant for export.

The Chairman of Fruit and Vegetable Processors and Exporters Association, Mateen Siddiqui, who accompanied the Iranian expert, said on Saturday that the expert had expressed satisfaction over health and hygiene standards maintained at the fruit processing plants in Pakistan and gave a go ahead to his government for the signing of a protocol.

Mateen said that the Iranian quarantine expert had laid down 12 conditions for accepting Kinno from Pakistan, which were already being implemented by the exporting country.

Iran has banned import of fruits and vegetable from Pakistan long ago under the false pretext of presence of fruit fly, which has already been taken care by the fruit processors and exporters.

Iran has fixed 21days transit time for export of fruits to Iran right from the packing till delivery which would provide a sufficient gap to stop transmission of any fruit insects along with the packing.

The protocol would go a long way in boosting trade between the two close neighbours, who had pledged in recent high level exchanges and meetings that trade between them would be increased to dollar one billion.

Iran had held a single country trade exhibition in Karachi while a similar Pakistan trade fair would be held in Iran shortly.

Courtesy Business Recorder