Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan has underscored the government's commitment to improving Pakistan's agricultural exports through value addition, innovation and quality enhancement, particularly in the citrus sector.

The minister stated that citrus, especially Kinnow, holds a significant place in Pakistan's export portfolio and regaining its competitive position in global markets is a key priority for the Ministry of Commerce, said a press release issued on Saturday.

"Our focus is on strengthening the entire value chain – from farms to foreign markets — by promoting modern agricultural practices, ensuring compliance with international standards and improving logistics infrastructure," he said.

He was speaking in reference to the recent participation of the Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) in the Agri Expo Sargodha (October 7-8), where PHDEC organised a technical workshop titled "Enhancing Citrus Quality and Export Competitiveness: Pest and Disease Control Measures, Harvest and Post-Harvest Management and Effective Logistics Solutions."

The workshop attracted a large number of citrus growers, exporters and researchers. Experts from the Citrus Research Institute (CRI), Sargodha, shared detailed guidance on pest and disease control, harvest techniques and post-harvest management aimed at improving fruit quality and reducing export losses.

PHDEC also distributed Urdu-language citrus booklets to help farmers adopt Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and modern orchard management techniques.