Fresh vegetable export to Pak via trucks records a whopping 300% rise

An impressive 300 per cent rise in fresh vegetable export from India to Pakistan has been recorded for October in comparison to the preceding month of September this year.

By Ravinder Singh Robin

Wagah, Dec. 2 : An impressive 300 per cent rise in fresh vegetable export from India to Pakistan has been recorded for October in comparison to the preceding month of September this year.

In October, 14,717 metric tonnes (Mt.) of fresh vegetable worth rupees 1,912 lakhs (over 191 million rupees) was carried to Pakistan carried by 975 trucks.

It was a whopping 300 per cent rise from September that recorded export of mere 4,249 metric tonnes of fresh vegetable worth rupees 546 lakhs (over 54 million rupees) carried in 285 trucks.

However, it was 6,422 Mt. worth rupees 799 lakh (over 79 million rupees) carried in 430 trucks for Nov.1 to 15.

The tremendous surge in export of fresh vegetable is an apparent result of the decision to allow trucks to direct enter the Wagah Border gate since October 1. Previously, the trucks had to be unloaded a kilometre ahead of the Wagah border gate. The goods were then taken across the main gate by potters making it a highly time consuming and tedious process.

According to the Joint Commissioner with Custom Department at Amritsar, Sanjay Sharan, the volume of trade between the two countries will further increase in the scheme of things for trucks.

"We are going to put more suggestions to our counterpart in the forthcoming meeting to increase the trade," said Sharan while expressing the hope that Pakistan would increase more items to allowing through Wagah land route.

Punjab's Minister for Information and Brodcasting, Bikram Singh Majitia, has said that to felicitate this procedure, the two sides would open a dedicated Cargo Gate so that all cargo traffic shall pass through the new gate for trucks only. It will also make tourist inflow hassle free.

Majitia added that a proposal to establish Dry Port near Wagah border has already been sent to the Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal. It will felicitate exporters and importers.

There is also a sharp increase in the import of dry and fresh fruits category.

In October, 3,134.508 metric tonnes of dry and fresh fruit worth rupees 4,661.55 lakh (over 466 million rupees) had been imported through 237 trucks from Pakistan through Wagah Border.

It was up from September that recorded 2,358.927 metric tonnes worth rupees 3,739.26 lakh (over 373 million rupees) carried in 178 trucks.

However, it was 1,636 Mt. worth rupees 2,461 lakh (246 million rupees) carried through 142 trucks from November 1 to 15.

However, meat export recorded a decline.

In October, 565 Mt. of meat worth rupees 383 lakh (over 38 million tonnes) was exported in 37 trucks. It was down from 868 Mt. of meat worth rupees 582 lakhs (over 58 million rupees) exported through 67 trucks for September.

The opening of trade through the Attari-Wagah border has benefited Punjab's business fraternity. Earlier, the trade was carried out through ship via Mumbai to Karachi. The process was expensive as well as cumbersome.

It is worth remembering that India and Pakistan have allowed trade via Wagah land route through trucks to boost trade between the two nations for the first time since partition in 1947.

Pakistan, however, has restricted its import from India to six items from India.

ANI