After successfully negotiating a season fraught with difficulties, it looks as though Pakistan may eventually reach its preseason export target of 225,000 tonnes of kinnow mandarins.

The country had exported 200,000 tons of the fruit as of 15 March, compared to just 125,000 tonnes at the same time last year, and exporters are now confident they can reach the 225,000 tonne mark for the first time in five years.

The increase in exports was attributed to higher demand from Russia, Iran and the Middle East, and from emerging markets like Sudan, Poland and Spain, Dawn.com reported.

The popularity of the fruit has attracted many new exporters to the business, according to leading exporter Khalid Ijaz, who is disappointed that the Pakistan government doesn't seem to be doing more to promote the fruit.

Former chairman of the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association Abdul Wahid said the government had failed to stop kinnow shipments in open trucks to Iran, against instructions from Iranian quarantine authorities.

He warned shipments in breach of quarantine rules could attract a ban on exports to Iran, which is a highly lucrative market.

Pakistani kinnows are shipped to the UK, Holland, Poland,Spain and Scandinavia. Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are the major markets in the Middle East, while Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines are key Asian markets.

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