Ministry of Commerce may give subsidy to exporters on Reefer Containers shipments for the continuity of kinnow export target, as GRI (General Rate Increase) of 1500USD/40ft Reefer containers will be added on the current tariff effective from 1st of January 2013 said Chief Executive Officer Harvest Tradings & Member Export ICCI, Ahmad Jawad.
In a statement he said kinnow export already faced many issues from the start of season and with the addition of GRI from the shipping lines, it could create a negative impact on the cost. Till date only private sector is taking at their own to improve the export every year of this potent source.
Jawad said current year’s production is 20 percent less at 1.8 million tones compared to previous year’s yield of 2 million tones.
However, unexpected strike by the goods transport carriers across the country few days back badly disturbed all plans and export process. As a result the export target for the citrus fruit fell by 10 percent to 175,000 tones or 180,000 tones from the set target of 200,000 tones, which may spell bad fortune for all stakeholders involved with this trade.
Despite restoration of normal transportation by goods carriers, it would take sometime to normalize the process. Already kinnow processing factories and orchards in Sargodha are overfilled with citrus fruit and they have become a major headache for their owners to preserve them in a way.
It may be recalled here that previous year’s citrus fruit’s export goal remained unfulfilled at 225,000 tonnes as against the target of 300,000 tonnes.
