ISLAMABAD: The Board of Investment (BoI) has invited applications for setting up a state-of-the-art fruit and vegetable pulping unit in Lahore city of Punjab province.
The project will be completed within a year, and the estimated cost will be Rs1.745 billion. The BoI is seeking proposals for this project, where the implementing agent will be a private company with 100% private equity.
During a conversation with WealthPK, an official from the BoI stated that demand for value-added fruit products, especially the pulps, has increased dramatically due to their use as raw material in juices, ice cream, fruit yogurts, and other products.
Pakistan is the fifth largest exporter of fresh mangoes in the world. Due to its rich flavour, aroma, and health value, i.e., nutrients and minerals content, it is highly sought after in the international market, the official informed.
“However, we are still far from exporting mango pulp, which has a great deal of potential. In the same way, the fruit juices and beverages industry is recognised as one of the leading industries, which requires an adequate supply of fruit pulp from the local market,” he said.
“Additionally, our fruit processors require modern processing facilities in order to cater to the demands of local and international markets. In accordance with the proposed business model, fresh fruits and vegetables will be purchased directly from farmers or distributors. The finished goods will be sold on both the domestic and international markets after pulping,” the official added.
The mango fruit is perishable and has a short shelf life. This results in high losses for farmers, fruit merchants, and processors. Therefore, it is necessary to process the fruit into pulp so that it can be easily stored, preserved, packaged, transported, and consumed year-round. Similarly, mango juice may prove to be a valuable raw material in the food and beverage industries with a high potential for exporting mango pulp.
It is direly needed to set up a fruit pulping and grading unit mainly for mango and guava, and it must be located in the cities near to fruit producing areas, such as Rahim Yar Khan and Multan districts of Punjab province, and Mirpur Khas district of Sindh, which is feasible for easy transportation.
