Fresh potato export expected to expand in Pakistan

In 2013, lower output in Iran amidst a bigger crop in Pakistan had provided the potato exports in a big way, after a lull of two years. But export volumes had fallen short of the target of 200,000 tonnes chiefly for two reasons: Russia had initially bought Pakistani potatoes in small quantities and, later on, suspended imports on quarantine issues. And, there was no big demand in the region, except in Iran. “In exports of perishable items, gravity of trade is the key to success,” says a Karachi-based exporter. “We export fruit and vegetables to far away markets like Europe and Africa but we can’t immediately meet their temporary shortfalls.” More