Usman Kabir, Author at NEWSLAB

Could cherry help make our economy bloom?

Exports could get sweet boost from ever-growing Chinese demand for exotic fruit

KARACHI. A cherry blossom tree in full bloom is a mesmerising sight to behold. Cherry blossom is symbolic of spring – a time of renewal, rebirth and rejuvenation. And it has just done that for Chile's economy. Cherry blossoms didn't bloom in Chile until a decade ago. Or at least the world didn't know. This long skinny country, sited on the western coast of South America, wasn't a major cherry cultivator until the dawn of the 21st century. Its total cherry exports were less than 5,000 tonnes, according to the UN data. Then China discovered it. And Chile's cultivation and exports of the exotic fruit went up exponentially in 2013, making it one of the top 5 cherry exporting countries in the world with an export volume of more than 118,000 tonnes in 2016. The figures have gone further up in the next two years.

Chile's Department of Agricultural Policy Research says that in 2018 cherry exports exceeded 180,000 tonnes, showing a staggering growth of up to 126%. Of these, 85% were sold to China. And from the spring of 2018 to 2019, Beijing imported about 200,000 tonnes of cherries from Chile – or 83.75% of Chile's total cherry exports.

In Chinese culture and herbal traditions, the cherry flower signifies love, passion, and female mystique. The rapid emergence and explosive growth of China's middle class has created an increased demand for exotic fruits, cherry and avocado in particular. According to international projections, China, a country of a billion and half people, would look like a more middle-class society by 2030, which means the demand for these fruits, besides other things, will go up further. China is already looking for more options to satiate its growing appetite for cherry. Recently, it found Argentina as another potential destination to import from.

 

Could Pakistan also grab a slice, if not the whole pie? Perhaps, yes.

Cherry is cultivated in Pakistan, but little is known about this exotic fruit in our country for lack of verifiable data.

Khair Muhammad Kakar

Cherry blossom is a real thing

"Cherry blossom is a real thing to observe in Gilgit-Baltistan during March and April as the whole valley is full of bloom in scattered plantations," says Dr Waqar Ahmad, Director Agriculture Technology at Pakistan Agriculture Technology Transfer Activity. "Small farmers have scattered plantations around their houses, but it is not in the formal sector of cultivation."

Ahmad, a trader from G-B, adds that cherry is sparsely harvested in a large swathe of the mountainous region stretching from Diamer to Sust border with China – particularly in the picturesque valleys of Hunza and Nagar. But he agrees with Dr Waqar that cherry is not a formal crop. "Farmers cultivate cherry plants in small numbers in their fruit orchards or around their houses."

100 per cent organic

But it's not G-B alone. Cherry is also grown in parts of Balochistan. "Good quality cherry is cultivated in Kalat, Ziarat and Khanozai areas," says agriculture expert Dr Khair Muhammad Kakar. "The best thing about Pakistani cherry is that it is 100 per cent organic – no fertilisers or pesticides are involved."

 

Waqar Ahmed at a US Aid event

Undocumented figures

According to the UN data, Pakistan produces a little over 2,000 tonnes of cherry per year, while its share in exports is zero. Dr Kakar doesn't agree. He claims that annual cherry produce is much higher, but we don't have the exact figures due to lack of documented data. Trader Ahmad concurs. "During the season, we sell nearly 20 tonnes of cherry every day," he claims. "Cities of Punjab are the main markets."

Dr Waqar, however, prefers to trust UN figures. Pakistan ranks 46th in the world with a production share of only 0.1 %, harvesting 2,206 tonnes of cherry in 2017, he says. "The overall world cherry production is 4.9 million tonnes and our neighboring country Iran is producing 398,140 tonnes annually." He also factors in low per acre yield, which is four tonnes, while in advanced countries it is 12 tonnes per acre due to high density plantation.

Javed Iqbal, an entomologist at the Plant Protection Department, agrees. Currently Pakistan's cherry production is too little to export, he says. "I believe there is no surplus, so export could be given a thought only if we increase the production."

Dr Kakar, however, believes that Pakistan can grow much more than it is currently growing. Reason being the low cost of cultivation compared to the traditional apricot and apple fruits. "Cost of cherry cultivation is almost zero. The only cost is fruit picking and packaging." He claims that farmers in Ziarat and Kalat, who have traditionally been cultivating apple and apricot, are now switching to cherry. Trader Ahmad says the situation is not different in G-B where more and more farmers are switching to cherry.

"The greatest advantage of cherry is that it needs a very short period of time to grow," says Akhtar Muneer, a horticulturist from Balochistan. "Many farmers are now avoiding fruits like apple as it requires a lot of water and is attracting some diseases too, so they can grow crops like cherry," he says, adding that the potential to increase the production is huge.

Dr Kakar says the cherry season in Balochistan lasts for 40 to 60 days, between May and June. While in G-B, the season starts in the last week of April and continues until the first week of July, according to trader Ahmad. Dr Kakar says if Pakistan starts exporting cherry to China, then the Chinese would have fresh cherries from G-B and Balochistan for almost four months.

Road rigged with potholes

Cherry is a delicate fruit. It has a very little shelf life. This means farmers have to sell their produce as quickly as possible to avoid financial losses. "Cherry has a disadvantage of easily rotting, unlike apples and grapes that can stay fresh for as long as a week. This is the main reason why cherry is not a preferable option for our farmers," says Akhtar, the horticulturist. Entomologist Javed says cherry's life after harvest is hardly three to four days. "When harvested in G-B, cherry is sold in the Islamabad market. Transportation takes a day, which means it has to be consumed over the next two to three days or else it'll start rotting."

Javed Iqbal

In Pakistan, almost 20 to 30 per cent cherry is lost post-harvest due to the dilapidated road infrastructure, according to Dr Waqar. An overwhelming majority of cherry growers – roughly 71% – are small farmers and they sell their produce to wholesalers and retailers as they cannot afford to transport their produce in the markets where they can get a better price.

Lack of cool chain management, market information system, packaging and processing facilities and value addition also contribute to the hurdles in cherry export. The transporting vehicles do not have cool chain refrigerators that could be used to transport tinned cherry, which is why the focus of farmers is only local markets, where they do not get the desired price. But Dr Kakar says storage is not an issue as far as Balochistan is concerned.

"A chain of 10 state-of-the-art cold storages has been set up as part of a US-funded project – right from Chaman up to Turbat," he claims. For him, packaging is the first step. "Growers should be provided clamshell packaging which ensures safety, visibility, versatility – and above all zero fraudulency." Besides packaging, value-addition is another important factor. Cherry is a delicate and easily perishable fruit, but the processed, pre-cooled, packed cherries have shelf life of over a couple of weeks with fresh and crispy taste and aroma.

The quality of the edible flesh of cherry fruits differs from region to region, but buyers prefer value-addition. "The buyer buys with eyes, which is why packaging and presentation of the fruit makes a difference in the export market and salability of the produce," says Dr Waqar.

Biting slice off the pie

Gilgit-Baltistan, which lies at the heart of the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), could become a business hub between the two countries.

"CPEC can be used as a gateway between both the countries," says Dr Waqar. "People of G-B can export their finest quality almonds, apricots and dry fruits to China, while farmers in Balochistan, where the Gwadar port is located, could also export their fruits, including cherry, and vegetables in bulk."

Dr Waqar says cherry could easily be exported to China via CPEC. "If we sort out the issue of transportation, in technical terms the pre-cooling system; small processing units in the cottage industry; and the mechanism for consolidation, then there is a lot of potential of cherry for export in Pakistan."

All the experts agree that Pakistan's cherry could be marketed as 100% organic to increase its competitiveness in the Chinese market. "The fruit could be claimed as organic produce from the foothills of the Himalayas due to clean environment, and no use of agrochemicals and fertilisers," says Dr Waqar.

However, there could be some roadblocks, primarily the issue of quarantine. "Any humans, animals or plants have to go through some procedure as they move, which is called quarantine, so the cherry is also kept in quarantine for some time to analyse if it carries any disease or pest to see if it becomes a threat for the economy or health of the importing economy," says entomologist Javed.

Amanullah Khan, Managing Director of Global Care, Beijing, thinks this shouldn't be an issue. "We are already exporting agricultural products – fruits and vegetables – to the United States, the United Kingdom, and other European countries which have more stringent quarantine requirements.

Amanullah Khan

"Pakistani mangoes are popular all over the world, especially in European countries such as the United Kingdom, and the United States. The problem of the presence of fruit flies has been solved. If we can get support from China and secure some orders, then we will definitely meet this requirement, this is not a big problem," he adds.

Putting together 'to-do' list

The experts agree that cherry production has to be given a substantial boost if Pakistan plans to export to China.

There are things that growers need to take care of, like pollination. "We have to maintain certain trees as well to keep in check pollination, so when the pollination is done right, the flowering and fruiting is good quality too. Thus, there are certain things that growers need to take care of as it affects the production."

Farmers can grow more cherries under high density plantation with drip irrigation to get more produce per acre, which will increase the capacity to maintain the supply of the fruit in the local and export market, according to experts. Climatic conditions and natural resources are in favour of more production in high hills.

Trader Ahmad complains about lack of support from the agriculture department. "If the government could set up nurseries to offer saplings to growers and make market information and clamshell packaging available to them, then cherry could be brought into formal cultivation which, in turn, would result in a substantial boost in production."

 

Dr Waqar agrees and goes a step further. "Support from the government and the development sector to farmers in cultural practices, certified plants, access to finance, access to market and logistical management will enhance the prospects of cherry production in the region."

Horticulturist Muneer recommends a two-tier market for an efficient marketing system. "In the first tier, fresh cherry should be collected, packed and supplied according to the market demand, and the surplus cherry should then be processed and canned in the second tier."

Dr Kakar says the government should provide clamshell packaging to farmers; help exporters with the certification process and other paperwork; and remove bureaucratic hurdles and rampant corruption at ports, if it wants to encourage cherry exports.

If this is too much to ask for Pakistani authorities, then China could be requested to help. And Zhao Jinping, former director-general of the Research Department of Foreign Economic Relations, Development Research Centre of the State Council, thinks this is possible. "China should set up a joint venture cherry farm in Pakistan and the two countries can produce together to help Pakistan develop the cherry industry," he says.

If Pakistan could get a share in China's cherry imports, then this could be a win-win for both countries. China could have fresh, organic cherry at a cheaper price, while Pakistan could improve its trade imbalance with China, though in a modest way.

Story: Naveed Hussain and Sumaiya Kamani
Creative: Ibrahim Yahya

When online predators go scot-free

Afraid of societal stigma, victims and their families often hush up cases of revenge porn, online harrassment

Karachi: With a chador wrapped around her head and face, a scared and jittery young woman sat in the waiting area of the Federal Investigation Agency’s Cybercrime Circle in Karachi. Next to her was an elderly woman, like a deer caught in the headlights, waiting to speak to an investigation officer.

Every now and then, the older woman whispered something to the girl, and went redder in the face in the process. Tears welled up in the young woman’s eyes. Try as she would, the tissues were not enough to soak up her tears as they streamed down behind the chador.

As she fidgeted with the tissue, an official announced: “The officer is calling Miss F”

The two women got up with their handbags and headed into the investigation officer’s room. The older woman introduced herself as F's aunt and began narrating the ordeal her niece and whole family were facing.

A student at an all girls college, F met Z at an inter-collegiate sports event three years ago. It was like any other such liaison between teenagers, growing from clandestine calls into surreptitious meetings. There were a few video calls in between and exchange of photographs, but F insists it was all above-board.

As the relationship grew, she found out about Z other activities, which included petty crime and even a prison term. He also disappeared for long stretches, which for F was another red flag. Alarmed at these developments, she tried to put distance between the two.

That’s when things started to go wrong. Angry at being spurned, he started with threats against F and her family.  Initially, she brushed off his advances as idle threats, but when he repeatedly threatened to send compromising images of her to her family, she knew there was trouble.

She confided in her aunt, scared as she was of causing irreparable damage to her relationship with her father. At that time, her family was busy with the marriage of her elder sister, and appeased Z through whatever means necessary.

But that didn’t last long. Early last year, F woke up to find her intimate pictures displayed over multiple social media platforms. They were also sent to her family members. Soon, everyone in her extended circle had seen the pictures, with her pleas to Z to take them off falling on deaf ears.

Driven to despair, she tried to kill herself, not once but twice, saved by timely intervention of her family. They convinced her to take up the case with the relevant authorities but the shame associated with the offence continued to be a deterrent. She was still sticking to the hope that her intimate images would be lost in the multitudinous oblivion of cyberspace.

However, the situation kept spiraling out of control. Things came to a pass early this year when Z decided to accuse F of blasphemy.

The amplification in threats directed at her and her family meant that there was no way out but to cooperate fully with the authorities. F was back at the cybercrime office in Karachi, and this time she was determined to get all questionable content associated with her removed from social media.

'One of dozens'

FIA Cybercrime Circle Deputy Director Abdul Ghaffar says that F’s case is not just an isolated incident and his department receives dozens of such complaints on a daily basis. “The number of reported cases have risen recently and the majority are about harassment on WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook.

He said that last year FIA received more than 4,000 complaints regarding cybercrime, while more than 1,500 complainants have been received in the first three months of 2019. “Of these, almost 70% of the cases are related to online harassment of a sexual nature, pornography, revenge porn, unsolicited messages, and identity and data theft for purposes of blackmail and misrepresentation.

“In cases, the majority of the complainants, almost 80 per cent, tend to be women, who have had compromising or doctored images put up on social media. In the majority of cases, the person who put up the picture is known to the victim,” he informed.

Hush it up

When asked whether she sought criminal action against Z, F told The Express Tribune that she wants to move on and focus on her education and family instead of worrying about what she will find out next on social media.

She is still reluctant about taking the issue to court. “I know I made a mistake by trusting him. I just want to make sure that I don’t have to hear from or see him ever again in my life. He has ruined it enough already. I don’t care how the authorities to deal with him.”

Ghaffar said that F’s case is expected to follow the same trajectory as do the majority of cases. “Only 20% of cases are taken to court. Nearly 10% end up in the files due to poor follow up on part of the complainant or the investigators. In the remaining 70%, complainants just want to make sure that the content in question is taken offline.”

He went on to say that complainants and their families are unwilling to take the matter to court due to its sensitive nature. “People are concerned about further damage to their reputation. They don’t want their names or images to be part of the court record. They don’t want to be known. All they want to ensure is that they do not have to deal with the individual ever again, and understandably so.

Repeat offenders

While the victim is satisfied by the removal of the objectionable content and an unconditional apology, it limits the agency’s ability to try the perpetrator through the legal system is compromised. This means that they have to let the perpetrator go, despite knowing their proclivities.

Investigation officer Tariq Hussain, who is an IT expert, cited the case of a man who impersonated as an army officer and duped women with promises of marriage. The man hired a fake molvi to carry out the nikkah to sanctify the consummation of marriage. He also recorded the act of consummation, which he then used to blackmail.

“We arrested the man a few years ago, but had to let him go after the victim agreed not to press charges as the content was removed and the blackmailing ended. Last year, there was a complaint about another man impersonating as an army officer. When we tracked him down, it was the same man,” narrated Hussain.

He said that his investigation revealed that the perpetrator had carried out the same scam with at least four different women that they know of. “We don’t know how many other women he duped. But now, one of the victims has agreed to go ahead with the case and it is now in court,” said Hussain, while acknowledging that the cases could have been avoided if they had been able to take action earlier.

Paucity of resources

One of the challenges facing the cybercrime wing is a dearth of resources. The resources have not grown apace with the rising number of complaints that they have to handle since the setting up of the wing in 2007. The passage of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Ordinance (PECA) in 2016 resulted in greater focus on the wing’s activities but without the necessary addition to resources.

At present, Pakistan has around 35 million active social media users, according to a Global Digital report prepared by We Are Social and Hootsuite. Meanwhile, a Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) report stated that cellular subscribers in Pakistan crossed the 150 million mark in June last year, with over 10 million new subscribers added in the 12 month period preceding it.

One investigation officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the Karachi office has two technical experts and one forensic expert to deal with the cases. “The experts were hired ten years ago. They don’t receive refresher courses. There is so much changing and we need to know about it in order to better handle the situation,” the officer said.

The officer also underscored the importance of having investigators trained in interviewing complainants who are often young women who are vulnerable and dealing with conflicting pressures from the family and the society.

Deputy Director Abdul Ghaffar, whose intervention was pivotal in the F case, says the greatest challenge facing the agency is a lack of agreement with social media websites. “Currently, it takes almost three weeks to get Facebook to remove objectionable content. That’s light years in the internet world. We need policymaking at the highest level to come to agreements with these social media behemoths to drastically reduce the time in order for our actions to be more effective.”

Crusade in the digital age

Nighat Dad runs the Digital Rights Foundation, which focuses on digital security and online harassment among young women. She set up an online harassment helpline in December 2016, and it received over 2,000 complaints in the first two years till November 2018.

However, the last four months have witnessed a sudden upsurge, with over a 1,000 complaints, says Dad, adding that the complaints are not just limited to the digital space but also the work place as well as those on WhatsApp. The DRF has since set up another helpline, and enlisted lawyers willing to provide their services on pro bono basis. It also refers complaints to relevant authorities, including the FIA, as well as following up on them.

It has also successfully approached major social media websites to take down content including ‘intimate images shared without the consent of the individual’ or those that places an individual’s life in danger. The efforts have borne fruit as Facebook recently set up pre-emptive mechanisms, in consultation with experts from five countries including Pakistan, to detect and block the uploading of such images.

Dad also criticised victim blaming, often the knee-jerk response in such cases, and underscored the importance of understanding consent, where sharing an intimate image with one individual doesn’t mean that that individual has the right to share that image with others.

The names in the story have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved. 

Reporting: Adil Jawad and Hussain Dada
Creative: Ibrahim Yahya