Punjab seeks centre’s approval to export potatoes after bumper harvest

LAHORE: The Punjab government has sought the federal government’s approval to export potatoes after recording a bumper harvest this season, with production rising 25 per cent from last year to a record 12 million metric tonnes.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has written to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requesting permission to allow exports in order to stabilise prices and ensure better returns for farmers, officials said.

Punjab has also stepped up contacts with the federal government as it looks to secure export channels for the surplus crop, the said adding that talks are under way between the Punjab government and Kazakhstan, where a visiting delegation is expected to hold discussions on potato exports later on Thursday.

Maryam Nawaz said that the provincial government was working to access new international markets for potato exports, describing Kazakhstan as the first step in a broader push to enter additional global agricultural markets.

She said that the provincial government would not allow the record potato crop to be sold at throwaway prices and was coordinating closely with federal authorities to protect farmers’ incomes.

“The bumper potato crop is not a cause for concern for farmers but a sign of prosperity,” she said, adding that the government would continue to strengthen the agricultural sector through farmer-friendly policies.

Punjab is Pakistan’s largest potato-producing province, and large harvests in the past have often led to price crashes in domestic markets, hurting growers.