LAHORE, Dec 25: Pakistan exported 32,500 tons of kinno till Dec 17 when the Eid festivities and holidays temporarily suspended the process.

The exports mainly went to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Ukraine. A few containers also left for Russia, which recently lifted ban on import of Pakistani kinno, but it would pick up in the next few days.

According to local exporters, the process would not pick up with added momentum as chilly weather has improved the fruit both in colour and taste.

The country would easily cross export target of 225,000 tons this year, they hoped.

“With weather getting clearer, the export process should gather greater momentum in the next few days and weeks,” says Mohammad Iqbal of Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board (PHDEB).

The current chilly spell has given the fruit its colour and taste and should help gain even better momentum for export, he said.

The Russian team had recently cleared 14 plants for sending kinno to Russia, which is emerging as a big market and has potential to become the biggest.

During the next few years, kinno export to Russia may touch a figure of 200,000 tons.