Pakistan Kinnow Exports Uzbekistan Get Go-Ahead
Pakistan kinnow exports Uzbekistan have got the go-ahead, as Uzbekistan approved 184 Pakistani kinnow exporters and 39 packing facilities to access its market ahead of the citrus export season, opening a fresh destination for Pakistani fruit exporters as trade with Afghanistan stays disrupted.
The approval, announced by the government on Tuesday, allows exporters registered with Pakistan’s Department of Plant Protection (DPP) to enter the Uzbek market, subject to meeting the required regulatory and phytosanitary standards, ProPakistani reported on Wednesday.
The move is expected to give much-needed relief to Pakistan’s citrus exporters, who have faced repeated setbacks in recent months because of border and trade friction with Afghanistan. Access to Uzbekistan offers exporters an alternative market at a crucial time, just as the new citrus season approaches.
Pakistan kinnow exports Uzbekistan: why exporters needed a new market
Afghanistan has historically been a major destination for Pakistani agricultural exports, particularly kinnow and mangoes. But Pakistan’s fruit trade with Afghanistan has remained disrupted since October 2025, leaving growers and exporters with fruit to sell and fewer buyers to sell it to.
Kinnow is one of Pakistan’s best-known fruit exports. The mandarin variety is grown mainly in Punjab, and the winter citrus season is a key income window for thousands of farming families. When a major buyer closes, the loss hits growers first, then the packing houses, transporters, and traders who depend on the season.
The Uzbek approval does not replace the Afghan market overnight. Exporters still need to meet Uzbek phytosanitary rules, arrange transport through Central Asia, and build buyer relationships in a new market. But 184 approved exporters and 39 approved packing facilities is a serious start, and it gives the trade a second route while the Afghan border stays shut.
How the deal was put together
The approval follows coordinated diplomatic and technical efforts involving the Ministry of Commerce, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, and the Department of Plant Protection.
Pakistan’s Trade and Investment Counsellor in Uzbekistan and the country’s embassy in Tashkent also contributed to the efforts. The government said it appreciated Uzbekistan’s cooperation and remained committed to expanding bilateral trade through greater agricultural market access.
The push fits a wider pattern in Pakistan’s food trade. Maryam Nawaz and the Saudi envoy have agreed a Rs500 billion halal food export target, and Pakistan and China opened the Sost-Khunjerab green channel to speed farm goods across the border. Each deal opens a new route for the same growers.
Food security runs through the same story. CPEC 2.0 is meant to strengthen Pakistan’s food security, and farm exports are part of that plan: selling abroad earns the foreign exchange that pays for food imports at home.
What it means for growers
For citrus growers in Punjab, the timing is good. The new season is about to start, and an approved exporter list means fruit can move as soon as buyers and transport are arranged. Packing houses that meet Uzbek standards can now bid for orders they could not reach before.
The approval also shows how regional trade is shifting. The ECO Council of Ministers meeting is set for November 15-16 in Islamabad, where trade between member states will be on the agenda. Central Asia is becoming a more serious market for Pakistani farm goods, not just a transit route.
The Punjab PIVOT plan, a Rs1.99 trillion roadmap, also puts farm productivity and exports at the centre of the province’s economic plans. Kinnow growers stand to gain if those plans turn into better cold chains, packing, and market access.
The test now is delivery. Approval on paper must turn into trucks crossing into Uzbekistan, payments clearing, and repeat orders next season. If it does, growers will have a market that does not depend on the Afghan border reopening.
Frequently asked questions
How many Pakistani kinnow exporters can now sell to Uzbekistan?
Uzbekistan has approved 184 Pakistani kinnow exporters and 39 packing facilities to access its market.
What must exporters do to qualify?
Exporters must be registered with Pakistan’s Department of Plant Protection and meet the required regulatory and phytosanitary standards.
Why did exporters need a new market?
Trade with Afghanistan, historically a major buyer of Pakistani kinnow and mangoes, has remained disrupted since October 2025, leaving exporters short of buyers ahead of the citrus season.
Which agencies worked on the approval?
The Ministry of Commerce, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, and the Department of Plant Protection worked together, with support from Pakistan’s Trade and Investment Counsellor in Uzbekistan and the embassy in Tashkent.
