Ghulam Qadir, a commercial counsellor at the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing, says the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) has given permission for sixty more Gilgit-Baltistan cherry farms to export their fruit to China.
According to Ghulam Qadir, there is a lot of promise for the agricultural sector in Gilgit Baltistan, where cherry farming is a substantial business, if Chinese customs approve the Pakistani cherry plantations.
“The approval by Chinese customs indicates that the Pakistani cherry meet the norms and requirements for shipment to China. This not only creates new commercial opportunities, but it also introduces Pakistani cherries’ flavour and quality to a larger global market.
“The cooperation between China and Pakistan in promoting agricultural exports, particularly cherries from Gilgit Baltistan, highlights the mutual benefits derived from such alliances, said Arman Shah, CEO of Hashwan Group and Arman Shah Farm, which is the largest farm approved by Chinese Customs. Along with accelerating economic growth, it also improves cross-border relationships.
He said that GB cherries have already been shipped to several nations, with the Middle East serving as their main market, and that the cost of export this year was between Rs. 700 and Rs. 1000 per kilogramme.
“My 7.5-arce farm produces about 15-20 tonnes of excellent cherries each season, while Gilgit Baltistan produces more than 4,000 tonnes annually. In addition, I have a cold storage facility that enables me to export long after the season has passed,” he added.
Fifteen facilities for cold storage and packing have also received approval from Chinese customs to ship cherries to China.
