Pakistan to Resume Cherries’ Exports to China after a Decade

MNFSR succeeded to resolve 12 years-long pending issue of market access of cherries exports from Pakistan to China, commented Minister of National Food Security and Research, Tariq Bashir Cheema.

General administrations of Customs China (GACC) confirmed the Department of
Plant Protection (DPP), Ministry of National Food Security and Research, that
Pakistani exporters can export cherries from Pakistan to China from DPP-registered
orchards and Packhouses. This will result in huge exports of Pakistani cherries.

The focus courtesy of the Minister of National food security and Research, Tariq Basheer Cheema, and Federal Secretary of National Food Security and Research, Zafar Hassan regarding cherries exports and bringing export 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. This market access request was
pending since 2012.

However, GACC after a video inspection of quarantine procedures and registered orchards & cold treatment facilities, and Pack houses registered with DPP with respect to sanitary and phytosanitary measures, allowed the export of cherries from Pakistan to China in accordance with the agreed protocol.

Department of Plant Protection took special steps to upgrade registered orchards, Cold
treatment facilities and packhouses as per requirements of GACC.

DPP had put in place repeated technical compliance audits for compliance to boost the export of cherries through improvement in food safety and phytosanitary measures besides quality, storage, and packaging.

Now, 90 cherry orchards and 15 cold treatment facilities & Packhouses from Pakistan can export cherries to China. This is a remarkable achievement of the Department of Plant Protection working under the administrative control of MNFSR.

They worked in close collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce, TDAP, GBRSP, Agriculture Department GB, and Chamber of Commerce GB and became able to pitch achieved market access for cherries exports to China.Govt, Chinese Firms in Row over Import of Expensive Coal

This brings good news especially to the farmers of GB, as their main source of earnings is based on this fruit.

Moreover, Pakistan being an agrarian economy can also look for enhancing exports in other domains as well by improving quality standards as per global markets.

This will open avenues for further exports in the international market. Further, the up-gradation of more orchards and facilities is in the pipeline with DPP, to make them at par with international standards in order to achieve major shares in high-end markets of Asia, Europe, USA, and Australia and obtain their registration for export to China also.