ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has a major share in citrus fruit production as the south Asian country ranks 12th among the leading international producers of citrus fruit. Pakistan’s citrus industry faces several challenges including climate change as the production and the area of the fruit cultivation have declined due to multiple factors.
According to a document shared by Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food and Security on its website, the country’s area under citrus has decreased from 156,887 hectares to 156,211 from 2021 to 2023.
In Punjab, Pakistan the area under citrus has declined from 145,349 hectares to 145,084 during the same period. In Sindh, the area has dropped from 5,818 hectares to 5,778 in the same period, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa witnessed a decline from 2,919 hectares to 2,892 for the citrus fruit. According to the data, the area for the citrus decreased from 1,790 hectares to 1,606 in Balochistan.
The document also provided details about the production of the citrus during the same period and disclosed that the production of the fruit has declined from 2,372,119 tonnes to 2,229,520.
Source: Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food Security and Research
The data showed that the fruit production in Punjab has declined from 2,296,790 tonnes to 2,160,411 while in Sindh, the citrus production has decreased from 34,059 tonnes to 33,677 between 2021 and 2023.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, the situation is similar as the province’s production during the same period dropped from 303,83 tonnes to 294,86 while in Balochistan, the production declined from 10,887 tonnes to 5,946 from 2021 to 2023.
Various factors, including the escalating impacts of climate change, and the increasing severity of smog, have also contributed to this decline in Pakistan.
In recently observed harsh weather phenomena, research on climate-resistant crops is emerging as a major challenge for agricultural researchers.
Waheed Ahmed, patron–in–chief of All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association (PFVA) believed that there is a need to develop new varieties of citrus, and introduce disease-free varieties capable of coping with effects of climate change.
The current variety of Mandarin (Kinnow) was introduced in the country 60 years ago and lost its natural resistance against diseases over time while climate change has further weakened the variety.
He urged the government to declare an agricultural emergency due to the pressing issue of climate change as it is not only destroying citrus but also affecting the country’s economy.
Expert Rab Nawaz at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi wrote in his research article that citrus fruits require suitable climate for quality production.
He was of the view that Kinnow mandarin is dominant cultivated in the plain of the Punjab but is more vulnerable to changing environmental conditions. He said that climate change has directly affected citrus industry and suggested a scientific approach to address these challenges.
He further said that agricultural researchers should focus on developing new varieties of citrus to resist the impact of climate change.
Climate expert Murad Khan said that climate change has also shortened citrus harvesting season in Pakistan to just November through February, according with the harvest periods of major citrus-exporting nations.
He added that as a result, exporters have lost profitable opportunities to sell the product at good prices during under-supply periods.
He also agreed with Waheed Ahmed’s point of view that more and more focus should be given to introducing new varieties to resist climate change. He also hinted to the recent introduction of three new varieties of climate-resilient wheat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan by Agricultural Research Institute Tarnab (ARIT) in Peshawar. He said that research in this sector is essential for the survival of farmers and agricultural industry.
Pakistan’s trade scenario during last 10 years
According to Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), in 2021, Pakistan exported citrus products worth USD 185.5 million and imported the same for USD 8.8 million.
It added that in 2021, Pakistan’s top export destination was Afghanistan with an export value of USD 36.43 million followed by Russia, Philippines, UAE, Indonesia and others. Low production capacity, significant post-harvest losses, and non-compliance with international regulations – primarily SPS measures – are major barriers to exporting quality food globally, it claimed.
