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New cold storages set up at airports and sea ports

ISLAMABAD — Some 23 new cold storages are being set up at airports, sea ports and across the national trade corridor aimed at preserving fruit and vegetables meant for export purposes. These storages will be established under the Cool Chain System which will also have two reefer yards at Lahore and Karachi, each having a capacity of 250 containers and six testing laboratories.

This was decided here yesterday following the signing of MoU between the Infrastructure Project Development Facility and Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board (PHDEB).

The two organisations have agreed to collaborate on improving the post-harvest management infrastructure of fresh fruits and other horticultural products by developing projects on public-private partnership modality. The MoU was signed by the CEO IPDF, Aijaz Ahmad and the CEO PHDEB, Shamoon Sadiq, on behalf of their respective organisations, at a ceremony which was also attended by senior officials from both sides.

The PHDEB proposes to establish a Cool Chain System, with a network of Pack Houses, Reefer Yards and Cold Storages. The project envisages establishment of 39 export/pack houses equipped with grading, washing, waxing, drying, hot water treatment, packing and storage facilities of different capacities at 31 locations in various parts of the country for major horticultural commodities.

Speaking on the occasion, PHDEB CEO Shamoon Sadiq said that the horticulture sector contributes about 12 per cent to Pakistan's agriculture GDP, and has great potential for increasing the production and export of premium quality horticultural products besides offering multiple employment opportunities throughout the supply chain, particularly in the rural areas.

He said that approximately 12 per cent of the 13.67 million tonnes of annual production of fruits and vegetables in the country is lost due to primitive and poor techniques of handling between farms and the end-consumers. He expressed the hope that the proposed project, after completion, would yield good dividends by reducing post harvest losses and enhancing the country's exports.

IPDF CEO, Aijaz Ahmad said that IPDF has been established as the focal point to promote Public Private Partnership projects in the infrastructure related sectors in Pakistan and under the MoU, IPDF will be providing technical assistance in structuring and implementing the project through private sector participation.

"We are focusing on good governance and regulation through standardised contracts and transparent procurement guidelines which would provide an enabling environment for the generation of investment opportunities in Pakistan to harness the private sector as the engine of growth for the national economy," he added.

He underlined that the implementation of the Cool Chain System project would improve the post-harvest management infrastructure for horticultural products, thus helping to reduce post-harvest losses, increase production and also the shelf-life and quality of fresh produce, which would greatly contribute to not only stabilising the prices in the domestic market but also in substantially boosting the exports to highly lucrative and competitive international markets.