Karachi : The FoodAg Pakistan 2025 has remarkable impact on the horticulture sector, which is a cornerstone of Pakistan’s agro-economy. This event has not only showcased TDAP’s strengths but also opened new doors for collaboration and growth in fruits and vegetables.
Overview of FoodAg Pakistan 2025
• FoodAg 2025, the 3rd International Food & Agriculture Exhibition, was held from 25–27 November 2025 at Expo Centre Karachi under the theme “Harvesting Innovation, Cultivating Sustainability.”
• It marked our most successful edition yet, with over 370 Pakistani exhibitors across 20+ agro-food subsectors, including key areas like fruits & vegetables, rice, agritech, seafood, meat & poultry, biscuits & confectionery, dairy, spices, salt, sesame, processed foods, beverages, honey, dry fruits, maize, oilseeds, and tobacco.
• We hosted 850+ high-calibre international buyers and delegates from over 80 countries, facilitating more than 5,700 curated B2B meetings—the highest in the event’s history.
• The exhibition generated an estimated USD 730 million in confirmed and projected business deals, positioning Pakistan as a reliable, competitive, and sustainable player in the global agro-food supply chain.
• Notably, this success builds on TDAP’s ongoing efforts to promote innovation, sustainability, and export diversification in agriculture.
Mr.Sheryar Taj secretary TDAP Mr Athar khokhar DG agro Mr.Aslam Pakhali chairman Fruits and vegetables association of Pakistan and Mr.Waheed Ahmed Patron-in-Chief of PFVA.
Focus on Horticulture Exhibitors
• Horticulture was a standout sector at FoodAg 2025, with 120 dedicated Pakistani exhibitors showcasing a diverse range of products. This represents a significant portion of the total exhibitors and underscores Pakistan’s rich horticultural potential.
• Breakdown of horticulture exhibitors by sub-category:
o Dates: 32 companies
o Olives: 12 companies
o Mango: 6 companies
o Citrus: 7 companies
o Potato & Onion: 11 companies
o Mix Fruits & Vegetables: 16 companies
o Floriculture: 4 companies
o Nuts & Dry Fruits: 8 companies
o Processing & Value Addition: 24 companies
• These exhibitors highlighted premium Pakistani produce like Aseel dates, Chaunsa and Sindhri mangoes, Kinnow citrus, high-quality potatoes and onions, olives, mixed fresh fruits/vegetables, flowers, nuts, and value-added products such as date paste, syrup, diced fruits, and processed items.
• A prime example is Suhana Dates from Khairpur, Sindh (established 2010), which displayed Aseel date products including whole pitted, chopped, diced, and powdered dates, along with date paste, date syrup, and dry dates (chuara). Their focus on hygienic processing, traceability from certified orchards, and exports to the Middle East, Europe, North America, and Asia exemplifies the innovation in our horticulture value chain.
Buyers and Delegations in the Horticulture Sector
• The horticulture sector attracted strong interest from international buyers, contributing USD 28 million in projected business deals for fruits and vegetables alone—a key highlight of the event.
• Buyers hailed from over 80 countries, with strong representation from emerging and established markets in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, and Oceania. This included delegations focused on sourcing fresh and processed horticultural products like mangoes, citrus (e.g., Kinnow), dates, olives, potatoes, onions, nuts, and value-added items.
• Specific countries with notable horticulture-focused buyers:
o China: Delegations from major importers like JCOF and Shanxi Zhongwang explored horticultural opportunities, including sesame (as an oilseed complement to fruits/veg) and potential for fruits like mangoes and citrus.
o Malaysia: Buyers from BERNAS and other firms showed interest in tropical fruits such as mangoes and value-added horti products, supported by SPS discussions.
o United Kingdom: Surya Foods and Aytac Foods, prominent food importers, engaged in B2B meetings for Pakistani fruits, vegetables, and nuts, leveraging the UK’s demand for ethnic and fresh produce.
o Turkey: Migros (with 3,725 stores nationwide) sent buyers interested in sourcing dates, olives, citrus, and mixed fruits/vegetables for their retail chains.
o Belgium: Schepens & Co, a key European food trader, focused on high-quality fruits like mangoes and Kinnow citrus.
o Qatar: Sunder Trading explored imports of fresh vegetables, potatoes, onions, and fruits.
o Indonesia: PT Laris Manis Utama, a major buying house, targeted tropical fruits and processed horti items.
o Australia: Taj Food Sales Pty Ltd (with partners like Gautam Varma and Danish Ahmed) and other firms like Nadeem Enterprises Pty Ltd and Guddus Foods Pty Ltd expressed interest in expanding beyond rice to include fruits, vegetables, and dry fruits.
o Canada: A1 Cash & Carry focused on ethnic horticultural products like dates, nuts, and fresh produce for the South Asian diaspora.
o Angola: MAFRICOM Group and Angozara (beverages but with crossover interest in fruits for processing) represented African markets, with annual imports in the millions, viewing Angola as a new frontier for Pakistani horti exports.
o Argentina: Surhum (led by Nicolás J. Daniele) showed interest in agritech for horticulture, including imports of agri drones and technology for fruit/vegetable production, with potential JV in regenerative agriculture.
o United Arab Emirates: * Buyers like Hemani General Trading (Hassan Abbas for honey, but with links to dates/nuts), Mercury Me DMCC (rice but general commodities), and others like Mustafa Hemani (Pakistan Business Council Dubai) explored horti opportunities, including dates and olives.
• Key buying houses and importers: These included large retail chains like Turkey’s Migros, distribution giants like Australia’s Taj Food Sales and Canada’s A1 Cash & Carry, and commodity traders like Belgium’s Schepens & Co and Indonesia’s PT Laris Manis Utama. Many are established importers from Pakistan, with annual turnovers in the millions, seeking to expand horti portfolios.
Sideline Activities Related to Horticulture
• FoodAg 2025 featured several targeted sideline activities to boost the horticulture sector:
o Technical Seminar on Olive Value Chains: In collaboration with the International Olive Council and CIHEAM Bari, this session focused on enhancing olive production, processing, and exports, drawing international experts and local stakeholders to discuss sustainable practices and market access.
o SPS/Quarantine Sessions: Seven dedicated dialogues with counterparts from Malaysia (JAKIM), Indonesia, Ethiopia, Senegal, Gambia, and Côte d’Ivoire addressed plant protection, quarantine, and mutual recognition frameworks. These removed regulatory barriers for horticultural exports, particularly for fruits and vegetables, facilitating smoother trade.
o Global Cuisine Show – “Flavours Beyond Borders”: This attracted huge crowds with 21 chefs (including 12 Michelin-recognized masters) demonstrating the integration of Pakistani horti products like mangoes, Kinnow citrus, potatoes, onions, dates, and spices into global cuisines (French, Italian, Turkish, Thai, Brazilian, Mexican, Azerbaijani, Georgian, and Southeast Asian). It was covered by international food influencers, amplifying visibility for our fruits and vegetables.
o Post-Event Factory and Field Visits: Eight visits were organized for delegations from Türkiye, Australia, Mauritius, China, and Malaysia, including horticulture-specific sites like date orchards in Khairpur, mango farms in Sindh, citrus groves, and potato/onion processing units. These have led to ongoing negotiations, with several multi-million-dollar deals in the pipeline.
• Additionally, broader sessions on cold-chain logistics (by NLC) and aflatoxin/MRL mitigation supported horticulture by addressing preservation and compliance for perishable exports.
Future Outlook
• FoodAg 2025 has created durable export corridors for horticulture, forging hundreds of new buyer-exporter relationships and generating USD 28 million in fruits and vegetables alone. This aligns with TDAP’s vision to elevate Pakistan’s horti sector through innovation and sustainability.
• We remain committed to supporting the Fruit and Vegetable Association through continued events, market intelligence, and policy advocacy. Looking ahead, FoodAg 2026 will build on this momentum with even greater focus on horticulture.
