Commodities

Slow pact approval delays mango exports to Pakistan

mango

Farmers gather mangoes harvested from a farm in Wachakone, Tana River County. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Exports of mangoes to Pakistan have been delayed by Nairobi’s slow pace of approving a memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreed upon by the two countries.

Pakistan High Commissioner to Kenya Saqlain Syedah said her country is ready to absorb Kenya’s mangoes throughout the year in what will come as a reprieve to farmers who have been struggling with overseas markets on account of restrictions.

Ms Syedah said Pakistan only produces the fruits three months in a year hence creating high demand for mango in the off-season.

“We only have three months of mango production in Pakistan, Kenya can supply us throughout the year and this can be done as soon as the Department of Agriculture approves the MoU,” said Ms Syedah.

Kenya’s mangoes have been restricted from accessing the European market due to high cases of fruit flies.

The High Commissioner said the two MoUs on plant protection that started in 2016 on mango and citrus exports to Pakistan were finalised and are ready for signing if the Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture is in concurrence with it.

Pakistan and Kenya are strengthening their trade relations and just last week, Islamabad removed a 0.5 percent levy that it has been charging on all the tea exports destined to this Asian State.

Trade between Kenya and Pakistan has shown a steady growth, rising from $283 million (Sh31 billion) in 2008 to $705 million (Sh77.5 billion) in 2020.

Pakistan is Kenya’s largest buyer of tea and volumes to that country have been growing over the years. For instance, in 2011, Pakistan imported tea worth $215.5 million (Sh23.7 billion) from Kenya while last year it purchased beverage worth $480.82 million (Sh52.9 billion).

Trade Principal Secretary Johnson Weru thanked the Pakistan government for their consideration in elimination of the Attestation Fee of tea export documents from Kenya to Pakistan, effective, which was effected last month.

The two spoke on the sidelines of a joint news conference organised by East Africa Tea Traders Association in regard to Pakistan’s move to remove the attestation levy.