SUKKUR: Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) Sukkur organised a significant workshop on dates in Sukkur on Sunday, focusing on the cultivation and export of dates.
The event served as a convergence point for industry leaders, experts, date processors, traders, progressive growers, and R and D professionals. The primary objective of the workshop was to deliberate on the future trajectory of sustainable date 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.
The workshop aimed to provide valuable insights into harvesting and post-harvesting techniques, integrated processing, packaging, logistics, and effective marketing, and to raise awareness about potentia
l insights and opportunities in the global market for data exports.
Former Director of the Date Palm Research Institute in Khairpur, Dr Ghulam Sarwar Markhand, delivered a thorough analysis of the present crop status and future preparations. The presentation covered trends, planning, challenges, and opportunities in the field.
Professor, Institute of Horticultural Sciences at UAF, Faisalabad, Dr Summar Abbas Naqvi, 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.
Muhammad Arshad, an expert in date value-added products, Kaleem Abbasi, Senior Vice President of the Khairpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ghulam Qasim Jiskani, trade officers from Pakistan Commercial Sections abroad, including Ms Amna Naeem, TIC from Germany, Ghulam Mustafa, TIC from Sweden, Zain Aziz, TIA from Bangladesh, and 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 and D academia, actively engaged in the workshop. 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.