Pakistani cherries farmers are eying vast market of China as demand of this fruit is increasing among the Chinese consumers because of its taste, large size and prime quality.
The yield of cherries has recently witnessed a boost in Pakistan but so far, they have not been able to make any significant entry into the international market, including China where cherries are gaining popularity in recent years as high-end fruit with high prices, China Economic Net (CEN) reported.
It can be seen that China’s cherry imports have been on the rise in both volume and value. China mainly imports cherries from New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, and other countries in the Southern Hemisphere due to seasonal differences. Pakistani cherries may be no match in this regard, but their juicy taste, large size, and prime quality make them competitive food to be savored by Chinese consumers. As Pakistani farmers are eyeing this vast market, China Pakistan Agricultural and Industrial Cooperation Information Platform (CPAIC) offers some measures to be taken to expedite cherries export to China.
According to a report released by CPAIC, Pakistani cherry growers mainly get cherry prices and other information from traders who are grabbing most of the profits.
In this regard, an information management system can be set up to convey relevant market information to all stakeholders more effectively.
The lack of access to institutional credit may limit investments, thereby reducing the efficiency of the marketing system.
According to a statistical study a few years ago, about 54% of the households have taken credit from informal credit sources, mostly from the local traders or commission agents.
It turns out that credit source also plays a role in farmers’ choice of marketing channels. Farmers getting credit or prepayment from the informal sources mostly sold cherry at the farm gate, which brings lower net return than those participating in the market.
