BEIJING: A 15-person Chinese delegation will visit Gilgit-Baltistan to purchase cherries, according to Ghulam Qadir, Commercial Counsellor at the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing, who announced the trip on Sunday.
The Chinese purchasers will go to the region, which is home to cherry orchards, starting on May 15. The Chinese traders hail from Xinjiang, Zhejiang and Shandong provinces as well as the Weifang area, he told APP.
They will visit cherry orchards, meet local farmers and authorities, and assess the quality of the exotic fruit, he added.
During the visit of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Beijing in November last year, the two countries inked a cooperation treaty.
According to the pact, China would help the local grower increase output in addition to importing cherries from Pakistan.
China now imports most of its cherries from South American nations to satisfy rising demand. However, the price and duration of transportation are the most predicament.
According to Ghulam Qadir, the Chinese market needs around 350,000 metric tonnes of cherries annually, while Gilgit-Baltistan only produces about 5,000 metric tonnes of cherries per season.
And because there is little demand for the fruit locally, the growers export it. Since cherries have a short shelf life and are readily perishable, Pakistan has been exploring for neighbouring markets to export cherries to.
The most practical choice is China, which is a close neighbour with an increasing need for the fruit.
According to Ghulam Qadir, it is crucial for our farmers to use cutting-edge technology to enhance farming practises in order to satisfy the growing demand on the Chinese market.
According to Ghulam Qadir, the Chinese market needs around 350,000 metric tonnes of cherries annually, while Gilgit-Baltistan only produces about 5,000 metric tonnes of cherries per season.
And because there is little demand for the fruit locally, the growers export it. Since cherries have a short shelf life and are readily perishable, Pakistan has been exploring for neighbouring markets to export cherries to.
The most practical choice is China, which is a close neighbour with an increasing need for the fruit.
According to Ghulam Qadir, it is crucial for our farmers to use cutting-edge technology to enhance farming practises in order to satisfy the growing demand on the Chinese market.
