Comment by Riaz Haq on July 15, 2016 at 10:11pm

BBC News - From #Iran to #India: The journey and evolution of #biriyani ("birinj biriyan" or fried rice). #Pakistan

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-36423412

Biriyani is the quintessential celebratory dish in India and an aromatic delicacy that dazzles as a sublime one-dish meal, writes historian and food expert Pushpesh Pant.
The 400-year-old city of Hyderabad is linked in popular mind for its signature biriyani as much as it is with the exquisitely constructed Charminar monument.
The biriyani may have become a local landmark, but that doesn't stop people from asking, "Where did it come to India from and when?"
The lazy "scholars" are quick to opine that it was the genius of Indian people who transformed the "Cinderella of Central Asian pilaff" into the sparkling biriyani, but it is difficult to buy this "thesis".
A pulav (as pilaff is called in India) is a pulav - call it by any name - and a biriyani is a biriyani - belonging to a very different species.

There can be little doubt that biriyani originated in Iran. Even the name biriyani can be traced to the original Persian "birinj biriyan" - literally, fried rice.
In Iran, the deg (pot) is put on dum (slow cooking to allow the marinated meat to cook in its own juices and perfectly with layered rice and aromatic substances), and the rice is gently fried.
The doyenne of Islamic cooking in India, Salma Hussein, tells us however that the biriyani sold on the streets in contemporary Iran no longer contains rice and has evolved into succulent chunks of meat cooked in an envelope of rumali roti (paper thin bread).

But the dish has also evolved in India, where it has a colourful and varied history.
There is no evidence that biriyani first came to this land with the Moguls. It is far more probable that it travelled with pilgrims and soldier-statesmen of noble descent to the Deccan region in south India.
It was only much later that the dish meandered along less travelled roads, along the seaboard and the hinterland of the peninsula, donning different local garbs to tickle regional palates.

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 22, 2017 at 10:51am

Pakistan urged to export apples to Russia

http://www.freshplaza.com/article/173789/Pakistan-urged-to-export-a...


Pakistan has an opportunity to capture the Russian market, as importers have expressed an interest in importing Pakistani apples. According to a private news channel report, Pakistan, with a production of 1.495 million tonnes of apple, stands at number 10 in global ranking. 

The overall trade of apple has surpassed 6.5 million tonnes. Analysts believe that Pakistan can earn foreign exchange by capturing the soaring global apple market. They urge the government to facilitate farmers with the provision of the latest technology in this field and help them discover new markets. A spokesperson for the Apple Growers and Exporters Association said that demand for Pakistani apples was surging in the international market. 

He said that with the adoption of modern techniques in farming, apple production could be increased by two tonnes per acre and the country could earn Rs30 billion additional income from apple exports. He said that France, Belgium, Chile, the Netherlands and the US were countries that topped the list in apple production.

source: nation.com.pk 

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 24, 2017 at 11:26am

#Pakistan's exports of 127,000 #mangoes pass #India's 36,000 mangoes in #mango trade game in 2016 http://ecoti.in/_yQImb via @economictimes

India’s trade in the fruit has been below satisfactory. In the same year, India exported a mere 42,998 mangoes out of the giant basket of production while Pakistan managed to export around 65,000 units. In 2015-16, while Pakistan exported 1,27,000 units, India’s exports actually fell to around 36,000. 

While Middle-East is the main market for Indian mangoes, the European Union is the main market for its Pakistani counterparts. 

“Efforts are underway to make Pakistan the world’s largest exporter of mango,” Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan, Pakistan’s minister for food security and research had said a year ago. 

It is expected that India will produce close to 19.21 million tonnes mangoes this year. Also, while it is expected to touch the 50k mark for export, Pakistan is riding on the wave of taking more than 2 lakh mangoes to different parts of the world this year. 

Although new destinations like Australia, Korea and New Zealand are coming up for export, India is still way behind Pakistan in the number game. 

According to a report carried by TOI last month, export demand for Indi .. 

Comment by Riaz Haq on May 20, 2017 at 10:17am

#Pakistan expects to export 100,000 metric tonnes #mangoes this year

https://www.geo.tv/latest/142609-pakistan-expected-to-export-100000...

Pakistan’s mango export commenced from Saturday onwards, according to All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA).

Moreover, PFVA has set an export target of 100,000 metric tonnes for this year.

Last year, the mango export target was set at 100,000 tonnes and towards the end of the season the export stood at 128,000 metric tonnes, which fetched USD 68 million, stated Patron-in-Chief of PFVA Waheed Ahmed.

Ahmed explained that the export target has been set at 100,000 metric tonnes as mango producers have already faced huge losses due to unexpected climatic changes.

Due to a prolonged winter season , hail storm and strong winds in Punjab, the collective production of mango is anticipated to decline to about 600,000 metric tonnes from an estimated production of 18,00,000 metric tonnes.

Punjab produces about 67 percent of the mangoes in Pakistan. However, severe climatic conditions have let to 50 percent mangoes being affected. The extent of damage can only be ascertained once mangoes become available in the market.

Pakistan exports mangoes to 50 countries across the world, shared Ahmed, adding that in the current season attention is being paid to China, US and South Korea.

Last year, export value of mangoes was between USD 680 to USD 700 per metric tonne. However, in the current season this value would be USD 650 per metric tonne, he added.

Seeking Punjab govt’s assistance
Ahmed also requested the Punjab government to reserve funds in upcmoning budger to encounter the menace of climate changes during crop production.

He said that the climatic changes are big challenge for the entire agriculture sector, including horticulture sector, and technology can be utilised to find appropriate solutions.

With use of modern technology the damage caused by hail storms can be avoided and losses can be minimised, said Ahmed.

Waheed also pressed the federal government to fulfill its commitment to cost reduction by extending seven percent financial assistance on export of fruits and vegetables in the forthcoming budget.

He further emphasised that the government must take serious notice of discriminatory policy of freight cost by the foreign carries to Pakistan. The carriers must also be bound to charge appropriate freight rate.

Foreign carriers are charging freight cost of USD 1.26 per kilogramme from Bombay to London, where as USD 1.70 per kg is being charged for the sector Karachi to London. The high costs make it difficult for Pakistan’s mangoes to compete in the international market.

Comment by Riaz Haq on June 30, 2017 at 10:01am

#Rataul #mango: Another #India-#Pakistan flashpoint. Village near #Meerut in #UP claims mango http://toi.in/3NmfLb via @TOICitiesNews

Meerut: Among the scores of unresolved issues between neighbours - India and Pakistan - lies the conflict over a mango variety. To this day, origin of the delicious Rataul mango is disputed between the two countries.
The flashpoint of this historical tussle was witnessed in 1981 when the then Pakistan president General Zia-ul-Haq presented Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and President Neelam Sanjeev Reddy a basket full of 'special mangoes from his country'.
The then Indian PM liked the sweet mangoes so much that she wrote an open letter to General Zia-ul-Haq appreciating the mangoes, which she said were "only available in Pakistan". It was then that a group of mango growers from Rataul village in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district met Gandhi and explained how the variety was "born" in India and not in Pakistan.
"My father's elder brother Abrarul Haq Siddiqui migrated to Pakistan after partition with saplings of Rataul mango and cultivated in Multan and named it 'Anwar Rataul' in the memory of his late father, Anwarul Haq.
"Now, Multan is famous in the world for this mango. Anwar Rataul is considered the king of mangoes," said Rahat Abrar, director, public relations office, Aligarh Muslim University, who is originally a resident of Rataul village and proud of its mangoes.

Over the years, Anwar Rataul mangoes have become so famous in Pakistan that the country has even issued a postal stamp on the mango variety.
Mairajuddin, 60, who was part of the delegation of mango growers which met Indira, told TOI, "Soon after the news of Pakistan variety being presented to then President Neelam Sanjeev Reddy was carried out in the media, a meeting was called in our village and it was decided that a box with Rataul mangoes should be presented to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with the request that the same should be sent to the Pakistan president.

"During mango festivals across the globe, there is always a tussle between the two countries over the ownership of this variety. We have over 2,000 bighas of land under cultivation of this variety in Baghpat and adjoining areas," he said.
Alimuddin Siddiqui, one of the cultivators, told TOI , "Anwar Rataul has its roots in this village here and it is still grown in a sizeable area."

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 8, 2018 at 10:41am

#Pakistan #Mango #exports to rise with new #technology. #USAID supporting mango farmers in upgrading #fruit processing technologies and addressing export protocols. 13 state-of-the-art mango graders provided. https://tribune.com.pk/story/1775622/2-mango-exports-rise-new-techn...

US Agency for International Development (USAID) Pakistan Mission Director Jerry Bisson has said that by facilitating infrastructure upgrades, introducing new technologies and promoting market opportunities, mango exports will increase to high-end markets, which will bring more revenues to Pakistani farmers and exporters.

Multan gears up for four-day mango festival

“We want to ensure that Pakistani mangoes are competitive on the international market,” he emphasised while speaking at the Mango Gala held to mark long-term partnership with Pakistan’s government and private sector. USAID has been working with Pakistan since 2009 to expand the market of its mangoes globally.
Attention needed: Mango growers feel the heat as Pakistan tackles climate change

According to USAID, it has supported mango farmers in upgrading fruit processing technologies and addressing export protocols more efficiently since 2009.
Under the project’s grant programme, 13 state-of-the-art mango graders have been provided.

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 31, 2018 at 9:29pm

#Pakistan #seafood exports of 198,420 tons, up 27.94% in US$, earning $451.026 million in FY18 https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/362151-pakistan-fish-exports-up-27...

The country’s export value increased 14.57 percent from $393.662 million off 155,091 tons in 2016-17. However, as per officials, the country’s fisheries exports declined 7.35 percent in value to $11.837 million tons in July 2018 from $12.776 million in the same month last fiscal. The quantity was down 2.87 percent to 5,452 tons from 5,613 tons.

Industry stakeholders complain that Pakistani seafood fetches lower value in the international market as the quantity of exportable fish has depleted due to various reasons, including overfishing.

Faisal Iftikhar, former president, Pakistan Fisheries Exporters Association, said, “Pakistan’s fish and fish preparations exports fetch $2.27 to $2.5 per kilogram, which is lowest in the region’s average price of around $7/kg.”

He blames it on the lower quality of fish meal. “Our prices show that we export more fish meal and our prices are lower than quality fish meal price, which fetches $3/kg.”

He said quality seafood stocks were depleting in Pakistani waters because of overfishing and use of destructive nets. Pakistan mostly exports to China at lower rates, although the European Union has lifted ban from two factories amid political pressure, ‘without inspecting the factories on the ground”, he informed.

“Revival of exports to EU had no significant impact over Pakistan’s total seafood exports,” the official said, adding that only one factory exported to EU, and that too on lower prices at par with China.

China is one of the largest buyers of Pakistan’s fish and fish preparations. Other buyers include Hong Kong, Indonesia, Egypt, Middle East, UK, Thailand, South Korea, Bangladesh etc.

Capt Akhlaque, whose factory is the only one exporting seafood to EU, said, “We are not in a bargaining position. India is controlling the prices, with 200 factories exporting to the European Union countries.”

According to Marine Fisheries Department, there are around 150 fish and seafood exporting firms in Pakistan, of which 35 operate in the premises of Karachi Fish Harbour.

Akhlaque said commercial fish stocks had not depleted completely. “When ban on fishing is fully implemented during the breeding season in June and July, better stocks develop,” he said, adding that since the ban was implemented there were chances of better fishing in the current fiscal year.

Muhammad Ali Shah, chairmen Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, a representative body of fishermen, said processing and transportation of fish to the harbour was poor, which deteriorated the fish quality resulting in lower prices in the international market.

“Fish caught at Keti Bunder is transported to Karachi Fish Harbour in a poor manner, which deteriorates its quality,” he added.

Shah said that deep-sea fishing and overfishing had affected the commercial fish stocks, which were rapidly reducing in Pakistani waters. “Marine pollution and use of harmful nets are increasing the woes,” he added.

The Fisheries Resources Appraisal in Pakistan Project, a Unilateral Trust Fund project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and the government of Pakistan have also pointed to depletion of seafood resources.

“The overall status for all the major fish stocks of Pakistan is that they are all below target biomass levels and nine of the species groups are below the depleted threshold,” said the project report. “Only two species groups out of 14 show any indication that fishing mortality is at or below the limit. All of Pakistan's marine fisheries are over-exploited.”

The report said the prospects for an economically vibrant and growing fishery were poor, and reduced exports, value, and food fish production were all to be expected even as fish meal production increases.

Comment by Riaz Haq on October 25, 2018 at 9:22am

#Pakistan: #Mango Research Institute introduces high density mango plantation.The mango plants are placed at small intervals. This planting technique also helps to save on water for irrigation. It eases #orchard management. #horticulture http://www.freshplaza.com/article/9035989/pakistan-mango-research-i...

The Pakistan Mango Research Institute (MRI) has been planting mango trees at its research area, in line with the Ultra High Density Plantation process.

The Ultra High Density Plantation is a common technique, already used internationally. However, Pakistan was somewhat lagging behind in this area, said Agriculture Information Assistant Director Naveed Asmat Kohloon.

Still, the technique is of vital importance as it offers more production with low inputs. The mango plants are placed at small intervals. This planting technique also helps to save on water for irrigation. It is also helpful as it eases orchard management.

Comment by Riaz Haq on November 26, 2018 at 9:28pm

Pakistan kinnow harvest current season: plus 400,000 tons
The Citrus Research Institute Sargodha is making all-out efforts to aid Pakistani citrus growers, hoping that during the current season growers would get 25-40 percent better rates compared to the previous season. A total of 10,000 saplings of seedless kinnow have been distributed among farmers through a balloting system. Registration is underway to provide more saplings for next season.

CRIS Director Muhammad Nawaz Maiken stated this Tuesday that the kinnow yield was 2.5 million tons in total last year, out of which 400,000-tons -worth Rs 28 billion (€182 mln)- was exported to international markets.

https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9045996/pakistan-kinnow-harvest-...

Comment by Riaz Haq on May 29, 2019 at 6:42pm

#Pakistan's #fruits #export up by 6.37% in 10 months, recorded at $380.869 million during July-April (2018-19) against the exports of $358.062 million during July-April (2017-18). #Vegetable exports up 6.09%. #horticulture https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/477968-pakistans-fruits-export-up...

The export of fruits from the country witnessed an increase of 6.37 percent during the first 10 months of current fiscal year against the exports of the corresponding period of last year.

The fruits'' export from the country were recorded at $ 380.869 million during July-April (2018-19) against the exports of $358.062 million during July-April (2017-18), showing a growth of 6.37 percent, according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

In terms of quantity, the export of the fruits witnessed an increase of 10.65 percent from 721,146 metric tons to 651,758 metric ton, according to the data.

On the other hand, the vegetables exports from the country witnessed a decrease of 1.18 percent by going down from $203.257 million last year to $200.859 during the current fiscal year.

In terms of quantity, the exports from the country also witnessed increase of 17.62 percent from 739,940 metric ton to 870,298 metric ton, according to the data.

Meanwhile, on year-on-year basis, the fruits export witnessed decrease of 35.63 percent during the month of April 2019 when compared to the same month of last year.

The fruits exports in April 2019 were recorded at $ 11.745 million against the exports of $18.246 million in April 2018, the PBS data revealed.

On month-on-month basis, the exports of fruits also decreased by 58.23 percent in April 2019 when compared to the exports of $28.117 million in March 2019.

Similarly, the vegetables exports on year-on-year basis increased by 6.09 percent, from $30.634 million in April 2018 to $32.501 million in April 2019.

On month-on-month basis, the vegetables exports also witnessed increase of 8.39 percent in April 2019 when compared to the exports of $29.986 million in March 2019, according to the data.

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