Indian traders send 140 trucks of perishable items to Pakistan

 As a goodwill gesture, Indian traders today sent 140 trucks loaded with perishable items across the Attari-Wagah border into Pakistan, Assistant Customs Commissioner R K said today.

The trucks were carrying different type of perishable items, including tomatoes, soyabean and ginger.

On Saturday, as many as 190 trucks of perishable items crossed over into Pakistan carrying tomatoes, green chillies, soyabean and ginger, Duggal added.

Meanwhile, 12 trucks from Afghanistan carrying different varieties of dry fruits arrived in India via the Attari-Wagah land route, Duggal informed.

Indian traders have shrugged off the ban on onion supplies by the Pakistan government and have been sending various agricultural commodities across the Attari-Wagah border to meet demand from traders in the neighbouring country, said Narain Exim Managing Director Rajdeep Uppal.

Indian traders are keen for better and warm relations with their Pakistani counterparts, he added.

Uppal said he is constantly in touch with Pakistani traders, who told him the dialogue was on with top government officials to resume onion supplies to India and the Pakistan government may review its earlier decision.

Uppal said that more than 500 onion-laden trucks bound for India are still stranded on the Pakistan side. He complained that the onions were probably rotting and he did not know who would bear the loss.

Traders from Pakistan had started exporting onions to India on December 19, 2010, but were forced to stop on January 5 after the Pakistan government imposed a ban over rising food prices in the country.

India is a major exporter of vegetables to Pakistan. Of the total exports via the land route, tomatoes account for 30-32 per cent and soyabean 55 per cent.

Chillies, ginger, potatoes, capsicum, biscuits and raw cotton account for the remaining exports.