The Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) is set to distribute banana bunch bags to progressive banana growers in Sindh, specifically in Hyderabad on Thursday, June 13, 2024. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to improve the quality and cosmetic appeal of bananas, aiming to facilitate exports to more lucrative markets. Despite Pakistan's significant banana production, with cultivation spanning approximately 33 thousand hectares, export activities have been largely confined to Iran and CARs countries, primarily due to quality and cosmetic concerns. Sindh province, contributing 93% to the cultivation area and 83% to the total production, is central to this initiative, given its ideal soil and climatic conditions for banana cultivation.
PHDEC's actions, including the previous distribution of 150,000 mango bags in Sindh and Punjab, reflect a continuous effort to enhance the horticulture sector's export potential by improving product quality. The upcoming distribution event will be accompanied by an awareness seminar on bananas, in collaboration with the Agriculture Research Department, Tandojam. This seminar aims to educate growers on effective bagging techniques and management, alongside discussions on Panama disease. Athar Hussain Khokhar, CEO of PHDEC, emphasized the significance of such initiatives in boosting the export economy, stating, "Banana is a fast-growing export commodity. In the current year, export of Banana has reached to $40 million, and it is expected that it will grow further."
Source: nation.com.pk