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Indian traders resume vegetables export to Pakistan
A Pakistani worker waits for customers in front of sacks of onions at the main vegetable market in Lahore on January 7, 2011. Pakistan this week banned overland onion exports to neighbour India in a bid to control rising prices at home for the South Asian food staple, the commerce ministry said. – Photo by AFP
AMRITSAR: Indian, Punjab-based traders Saturday resumed export of tomatoes and other vegetables to Pakistan by land route, Amritsar Exports & Import Chamber Vice President Rajdeep Uppal told newsmen here.
The traders had stopped nearly 70 trucks laden with tomatoes, potatoes, ginger and chili from going to Lahore after Pakistan halted onion sales to India, where onion prices have hit the roof.
We do not want to apply tit for tat here and want trade between India and Pakistan to grow. Therefore, in a goodwill gesture, we agreed to send vegetables to Pakistan.
Yesterday, no truck crossed the border, Uppal said. We want Pakistan to immediately take back their decision and start sending onions. Their decision was a big surprise for us. They did not even release cargoes already contracted, he added.
Pakistan’s Commerce Ministry says onions cannot be exported by land, which amounted to a virtual ban on its export to India, since its import through ships or air is time-consuming and costly.
India got around 50 truckloads of onions a day from Pakistan since December 21. – Agencies