<p>Hundreds of trucks laden with tomatoes are crossing over to flood-hit Pakistan every day across the Attari-Wagah Border."Over 125 trucks (carrying 16 tonnes each) of tomatoes are going to Pakistan through the Wagah Border everyday," Amritsar Exporters Chambers of Commerce Vice-President Rajdeep Uppal told PTI.<br /><br />Besides tomatoes, soyabean meal from India is in great demand in Pakistani markets, Uppal -- who heads a leading export house in Amritsar -- added.<br /><br />"Roughly 400-500 trucks of soyabean meal (each carrying 16 tonnes) are going to Pakistan every week," Uppal added.<br /><br />He said there is a shortage of cotton in Pakistan markets and a flood of exports from India is expected soon. Onions were also in great demand in Pakistan till a fortnight back, he added.<br /><br />Except for onions, for which the government fixes a minimum export price, there is no bar on the export of any fresh vegetable produce from India.There had been an upswing in tomato exports to Pakistan despite a heavy duty of 48 per cent, Uppal said.<br /><br />Two years ago, the Pakistani government had imposed a 48 per cent duty on potatoes, 28 per cent on onions and 6 per cent on tomatoes, which virtually halted the vegetable trade between the two countries, he said. However, damage to crops due to floods has revived trade, despite the duties.<br /><br />Truck loads of potatoes are heading to the Wagah Border from Nashik, Delhi, Amritsar and Jalandhar for flood-ravaged Pakistan.<br /><br />Uppal said the tomato rush to Pakistan is expected to continue till November-end, when fresh crops will be available in the country.<br /><br />The high price attracted by tomatoes is an incentive for routing the crop there.<br />Tomatoes are garnering about Rs 40-50 a kg in Pakistan in comparison to about Rs 10 a kg in the wholesale markets of Delhi and Nashik, besides other markets, he added.<br />Surendra Kumar, the Treasurer of the Tomato Traders Association based at Azadpur market (Asia's biggest fruit & vegetables market), who himself is sending 5 trucks of tomatoes to Pakistan daily, said export incentives provided by the government have also motivated traders to send their produce across the border</p>
<p>Hundreds of trucks laden with tomatoes are crossing over to flood-hit Pakistan every day across the Attari-Wagah Border."Over 125 trucks (carrying 16 tonnes each) of tomatoes are going to Pakistan through the Wagah Border everyday," Amritsar Exporters Chambers of Commerce Vice-President Rajdeep Uppal told PTI.<br /><br />Besides tomatoes, soyabean meal from India is in great demand in Pakistani markets, Uppal -- who heads a leading export house in Amritsar -- added.<br /><br />"Roughly 400-500 trucks of soyabean meal (each carrying 16 tonnes) are going to Pakistan every week," Uppal added.<br /><br />He said there is a shortage of cotton in Pakistan markets and a flood of exports from India is expected soon. Onions were also in great demand in Pakistan till a fortnight back, he added.<br /><br />Except for onions, for which the government fixes a minimum export price, there is no bar on the export of any fresh vegetable produce from India.There had been an upswing in tomato exports to Pakistan despite a heavy duty of 48 per cent, Uppal said.<br /><br />Two years ago, the Pakistani government had imposed a 48 per cent duty on potatoes, 28 per cent on onions and 6 per cent on tomatoes, which virtually halted the vegetable trade between the two countries, he said. However, damage to crops due to floods has revived trade, despite the duties.<br /><br />Truck loads of potatoes are heading to the Wagah Border from Nashik, Delhi, Amritsar and Jalandhar for flood-ravaged Pakistan.<br /><br />Uppal said the tomato rush to Pakistan is expected to continue till November-end, when fresh crops will be available in the country.<br /><br />The high price attracted by tomatoes is an incentive for routing the crop there.<br />Tomatoes are garnering about Rs 40-50 a kg in Pakistan in comparison to about Rs 10 a kg in the wholesale markets of Delhi and Nashik, besides other markets, he added.<br />Surendra Kumar, the Treasurer of the Tomato Traders Association based at Azadpur market (Asia's biggest fruit & vegetables market), who himself is sending 5 trucks of tomatoes to Pakistan daily, said export incentives provided by the government have also motivated traders to send their produce across the border</p>