Islamabad:
Pakistan banana harvest has reached an unprecedented level, more than doubled in 15 years to reach a record of 317,000 tonnes in 2024-25, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The official data available with the wealth of Pakistan show that the production of bananas amounted to only 139,000 tonnes in 2010-2011, but regular growth – especially in the past five years – has made it the fastest culture in the country. The most dramatic leap occurred in 2021-2022, when production increased from 142,000 tonnes to 216,000 tonnes, an increase of more than 50% in one year. The production then climbed to 292,000 tonnes in 2022-2023, 311,000 tonnes in 2023-24 and hit the provisional record of 317,000 tonnes this season.
This rapid increase marks a major transformation of fruit agriculture, while producers move to bananas due to high demand and better yields compared to traditional cultures. Waheed Ahmed, chief boss of All Pakistan Fruit and Legails Exporting, importers and merchants association, said that growth highlights the export potential of the harvest.
However, he noted that Pakistan’s share in world banana trade of $ 14 billion remains negligible, with exports worth only 27.4 million dollars. It urged the creation of a complete value chain model covering cultivation, treatment, packaging and distribution to reduce post-harvest losses, improve quality and stimulate farmers’ income. He also called for large -scale corporate farms and modern pack houses to ensure higher quality bananas in international markets.
Junaid Haider Shah, producer, exporter and transformer based in the Sindh, underlined the economic change fired by new varieties of bananas. Acre income from farmers, previously 150,000 rupees at Rs 200,000 seven years ago, has now reached nearly 500,000 rupees. The new varieties are resistant to fungi, have a longer shelf life and are much more lucrative than older strains.
He said bananas are now more profitable than mangoes, exports increasingly increasing.
