Pakistani Fruits Have Huge Potential in Central Asia
Posted by Unknown in Central Asia, Citrus Fruit, Fruit, Pakistan on Saturday 26 January 2013
IQBAL MIRZA
The
five Central Asian Republics (CAR)–Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – with a combined gross domestic
product of $207 billion and a population of 66 million, offer a
sizeable market for Pakistan’s goods, services and investment.
However,
much of the potential for the economic co-operation with the region has
remained untapped, with Afghanistan’s war acting as a major barrier,
according to the CEO of Harvest Trading, Ahmad Jawad.
Talking
to Business Recorder he said that things, it seemed, appeared to be
changing as per the recent amendments in the Pakistan-Afghan transit
trade agreement.
Traditionally, Pakistan has been routing its exports to CAR through Afghanistan, occasionally using air transport.
“This is really a big market for Pakistani fruits.
But
we need a clear strategy, a roadmap, and immediate concrete steps to
build and expand trade ties with these countries in order to get good
push for survival of our horticulture products in future,” he said.
Pakistan
can get into Central Asian markets from three sides, Jawad said, and
identified that “we can take Afghanistan, Iran and China routes to reach
out to these markets”.
He
said that Pakistan’s bilateral trade with CAR would rise immediately if
Chinese would start using Gwadar port for trading with Central Asian
States “and we use our road links with China to reach out to these
countries”.
Pakistan
could also use the Iranian free trade zone of Chabahar to reach Central
Asia while facilitating Iran-Central Asian business through Gwadar he
added.
Ever
since CAR emerged as independent states after breaking away from the
USSR in early 1990s, Pakistan has done little to promote trade with
them, except for signing some agreements.
“We can export a large number of items to Central Asian countries;” he claimed.
Pakistan
has already been exporting cereals, frozen fish, fruits and vegetables,
medicines, medical/dental/surgical instruments, leather and leather
products, carpets, textile fabrics, knitted garments, ceramics/kitchen
wear and bathroom fittings, furniture and confectionery, to Central
Asian States and it has been importing cotton and agricultural machinery
from there.
In 2010, the CAR combined imports stood above $50 million.
“Even
if we manage to get one percent of this business, our export earnings
will increase by half a billion dollars,” Jawad said.
He regretted that “we are already late in tapping trade potential of Central Asian countries.
China is fast becoming the largest trading partner of these states, and India and Iran are increasing their shares gradually”.
He
emphasised that moves to expand trade volumes with Central Asian states
must be supplemented by more frequent people-to-people contacts, trade
shows and using established banking channels.
