F.P. Report
Sukkur: Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) organized a significant workshop on Dates in Sukkur on 07 December 2023, focusing on the cultivation and export of dates. The event served as a convergence point for industry leaders, experts, dates processors, traders, progressive growers and R&D professionals. The primary objective of the workshop was to deliberate on the future trajectory of sustainable dates farming, particularly targeting premium global markets.
Pakistan ranks among the foremost global producers and exporters of dates, boasting a vast array of varieties. Unfortunately, suboptimal harvesting practices have led to the classification of the majority of Pakistani date varieties as industrial grades for processing, resulting in lower prices compared to global competitors. To address this issue, PHDEC organized a workshop with the overarching goal of streamlining every segment of the date supply chain.
The workshop aimed to provide valuable insights into harvesting and post-harvesting techniques, integrated processing, packaging, logistics, effective marketing and raise awareness about potential insights and opportunities in the global market for date exports.
Dr. Ghulam Sarwar Markhand, the former Director of the Date Palm Research Institute in Khairpur delivered a thorough analysis of the present crop status and future preparations. The presentation covered trends, planning, challenges and opportunities in the field.
Dr. Summar Abbas Naqvi, Professor, Institute of Horticultural Sciences at UAF, Faisalabad shared valuable insights into navigating market dynamics. The focal point of his presentation was to heighten awareness regarding newly emerging and potential date varieties, taking into account their demands in both local and international markets.
Mr. Muhammad Arshad, an expert in Date Value-Added Products, emphasized the significance of value-addition interventions in Dates. He delved into the exploration of innovations and technologies in the processing of dates.
Mr. Kaleem Abbasi, Senior Vice President of the Khairpur Chamber of Commerce & Industry presented valuable insights on the implementation of an integrated approach to dates processing, packaging and logistics. His discourse centered on the strategic streamlining of the supply chain to achieve heightened efficiency.
Mr. Ghulam Qasim Jiskani, a progressive dates grower from Khairpur provided information on best practices for post-harvesting, handling and storage of dates. His insights focused on the optimal techniques to maintain the quality of dates.
Trade officers from Pakistan Commercial Sections Abroad, including Ms. Amna Naeem, TIC from Germany; Mr. Ghulam Mustafa, TIC from Sweden; Mr. Zain Aziz, TIA from Bangladesh and Mr. Amjad Parvaiz, a leading Pakistani-origin businessman in the UK, facilitated by Pakistan Commercial Sections in London and Manchester, collectively emphasized the impact of effective marketing on date exports. They shared market insights and highlighted opportunities for date exporters in their respective host countries.
A substantial number of participants representing growers, processors, exporters and R&D academia actively engaged in the workshop. They expressed their appreciation for PHDEC’s commendable initiative in organizing the workshop on promoting sustainable dates farming for premium global markets. The session delved into exploring prospects and opportunities in date exports, garnering positive acknowledgment from the diverse audience.
Mr. Athar Hussain Khokhar, CEO PHDEC, expressed gratitude to all the participants for their presence at the workshop and provided assurance that PHDEC will continue to organize similar activities, both virtually and physically to contribute to the development of the horticulture industry in Pakistan. He shared information about PHDEC’s upcoming initiatives, beyond capacity-building workshops and webinars and invited stakeholders to reach out for any needed support or assistance. Concluding his remarks, he elucidated the purpose of conducting workshops for major horticultural products and discussed potential interventions by PHDEC. He concluded by reaffirming PHDEC’s unwavering support to stakeholders in all matters related to products and exports.
The event concluded with insights from Dr. Mubarak Ahmed, Agro Consultant at TDAP, sharing insights on the challenges and prospective directions for the current dates value chain of Pakistan.
