Indian tomatoes swarm Pakistani markets

[LahoreEstate]

By Tanveer Sher

KARACHI: Pakistan is currently importing Indian tomatoes worth millions of dollars on account of poor crop during the current season and deteriorating law and order situation in Northern Areas including Swat and South Waziristan.
Since the last two to three months, some 400 to 500 trucks of tomatoes are daily reaching Wagah border at Lahore from where the commodity is transported all over the country to cater to the domestic requirements.

Currently, tomato crop from Balochistan is available to fulfil the local population requirements, which was inadequate to cater to 180 million population of the country forcing the government to allow large-scale import from India.

Every year, the large-scale tomato crop from Swat and South Waziristan in addition to Balochistan cater to the domestic requirement during September and October, but the destabilising law and order situation during the last one year or so did not allow farmers to carry out harvesting, which resulted in the acute shortage of the commodity in the country.
Taking cognisance of the abnormal increase in tomato prices since August, which surged to Rs 60 to Rs 70 per kilogramme, the government allowed import of Indian tomato that largely helped stabilise its rates in the country.
Talking to the scribe, Vice President of the Wholesale Vegetable Welfare Association Sabzi Mandi, Karachi Abdul Waheed Tabassum acknowledged the large-scale Indian tomato import in the country.
"Currently around 400-500 trucks are daily arriving into Pakistan for the last two months, each carrying between 12- 15 tonnes of tomatoes." he added.
"It costs Rs 3 to Rs 3.50 per kg to Indian farmers on per kg of tomatoes yield in view of free availability of electricity, subsidised fertilizer, tractors and scores of other facilities offered to them by the Indian government.
Huge quantity of one of the most essential food ingredients of daily use is finding its way into the local market causing severe setback to the Pakistani farmers.

Indian farmers are reaping massive financial reward in terms of driving financial benefit as they are selling their low cost product at very high rates at the Wagah border, which is around at Rs 20 to Rs 22 per kg, while at the same time they are also offered 10 percent rebate on their exported item.
He, however, expressed optimism that by the end of the current month, large-scale tomato crop from interior Sindh would be available for domestic consumption, which would also help reducing dependence on Indian tomatoes causing loss to the national exchequer.

http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?pag...2009_pg5_9