The Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) has convened a meeting with stakeholders and experts to tackle the green potato black-heart disease, which has significantly impacted potato exports to Russia, witnessing a more than 68% decline during the first eight months of the financial year 2023-24. Pakistan, a leading potato producer and exporter, ranks among the top 15 globally, with an annual production of 8 MMT and stands 8th in exports, yielding $216 million in the fiscal year 2022-2023.
The exports of Pakistani potatoes to Russia in the fiscal year 2022-2023 stood at 10.3 thousand tons, valued at US$ 3.04 million. However, during the eight months of 2023-2024, exports plummeted to 1.43 thousand tons, worth US$ 0.4 million, marking a 68.61% decrease in quantity and a 75.22% reduction in value compared to the previous year. In response, PHDEC initiated a webinar titled "Managing Quality Issues in Potato Exports to Global Markets: Focus on to Address the Green Potatoes and Black Heart Disease".
The event featured an expert from the Korea Program on International Agricultural (KOPIA, Pakistan), who discussed the causes, spread, effects, and management of Potato Greening and Black Heart Disease, offering remedial measures.
Source: brecorder.com