The Punjab Agriculture Department’s two-day “Khad Mela and Pakistan Horti Expo 2023” concluded on Sunday at the Expo Centre.
The Punjab Agriculture Department’s two-day “Khad Mela and Pakistan Horti Expo 2023” concluded on Sunday at the Expo Centre.
The event drew a large number of officers, farmers, importers, and exporters. The international exhibition featured 45 delegations of importers and exporters from nine countries, including Saudi Arabia, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, Bahrain, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Russia, as well as 100 stalls from domestic and international institutions.
Speaking at the exhibition’s closing ceremony, Punjab Agriculture Secretary Ahmad Aziz Tarar stated that the agriculture sector in Pakistan was the source of nearly 63% of foreign exchange acquisitions, with Punjab accounting for 70% of the total.
Pakistan is the third-largest producer of dates and citrus (kinnow, malta, and oranges) and the fourth-largest producer of mangoes in the world, according to him. He stated, “Pakistan is a global leader in the export of horticultural products.”
He stated that by organising Khad Mela and Pakistan Horti Expo 2023, he was able to achieve his goal of “educating farmers on the proper use of fertilisers and horticultural crops.” The exhibition aided Pakistani horticultural products in entering new markets around the world.
A seminar was also held to provide participants with information about modern production technology for increasing the export of horticultural high-value agricultural crops and their products, and experts shared their perspectives on the supply chain of horticultural products.
South Punjab Agriculture Secretary Faisal Zahoor, Punjab Agriculture (Marketing) Special Secretary Waqar Hussain, Director General Extension Dr. Anjum Ali, and Chief Scientist AARI, Faisalabad Muhammad Nawaz Khan Maiken, along with other officers, attended the closing ceremony.
At the conclusion of the event, the Secretary of Agriculture of Punjab distributed commemorative shields to the participating foreign delegates and agriculture department officers.
Horticultural products refer to various plants, fruits, vegetables, seeds, and other related products that are grown through horticulture or gardening practices.