Amritsar, Following objection from Pakistan’s plant and quarantine department, seasonal export of peanuts from Gujarat and Rajasthan has come to a halt at the Attari Integrated Check Post (ICP).
Rajesh Setia, an exporter, said Indian exporters were incurring losses due to non-clearance of quality tests on peanuts.
He wondered what prompted the Pakistan authorities to take the drastic move as the same quality peanuts were being consumed domestically without any hitch.
“We had been exporting peanuts worth Rs 1 crore every day from the ICP over a month ago. But not a single bag was exported for the past nearly one month,” he said.
Another trader Mukesh Sindhwani said local traders had already procured considerable quantity of peanuts from Rajasthan and Gujarat. This had also resulted in 10-15 per cent fall in its prices in the domestic wholesale market. The peanut prices have come from Rs 60 per kg to around Rs 50 per kg.
Earlier last month, local exporters had taken up the matter of non-clearance of Indian farm produce after Pakistan’s quarantine department objected to its quality with the Union Ministry of Commerce. Consequently, the exports were resumed. However, the export of peanut has remained blocked for the past one month.