Pakistan has started Kinnow exports for the current season, and the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Traders Association (PFVA) has set a target of 300,000 tonnes, which is expected to generate $110 million in foreign exchange.
Since December 1, exporters have already shipped around 6,000 tonnes to the Middle East, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.
Last year, Pakistan exported 250,000 tons and earned $95 million. Despite excellent production this season (projected at 2.7 million tonnes, up from 1.7 million tonnes), exports are still almost 50% lower than the 550,000 tonnes shipped five years ago.
PFVA chief sponsor Waheed Ahmed attributed the decline to “zero investment in R&D” and the failure to introduce new climate-resistant citrus varieties. The association has presented short-, medium- and long-term plans to the government, which Ahmed said could raise citrus exports to $400 million in five years if implemented.
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He added that Pakistan should start growing new varieties from Egypt, the United States, Morocco and China, along with low-water consumption types of citrus fruits (lemon, grapefruit, orange and mandarin) that enjoy strong global demand.
Pakistan’s broader citrus sector has long struggled with similar pressures. In Dir Upper and Lower, once home to prized honey-flavored oranges known as “nature’s sweets,” orchards have given way to shopping plazas as rising population and land prices drive out growers. Dir’s famous oranges now survive on just 300 acres, and traders often sell fruits grown in Punjab under the Rabat label to meet local demand.
Read more: The center of the orange trees of Dir
Agriculture officials say organically grown Dir oranges, without pesticides or urea, show both Pakistan’s exceptional citrus potential and the consequences of neglecting scientific agriculture.
Ahmed warned that logistics remains a major obstacle to Kinnow’s exports. With trade suspended in Afghanistan, land access to Central Asia and Russia has stalled, forcing exporters to use longer and more expensive routes through Iran, where freight costs have already doubled at the start of the season.
He urged the government to adopt a national citrus strategy, boost R&D and accelerate the shift to modern irrigation systems as water scarcity intensifies.
