Pakistan's Agricultural Export Calendar: When Each Crop Ships and What Exporters Should Prepare
Quick Answer
Pakistan's agricultural exports follow a predictable seasonal calendar: kinnow peaks December to March, mango May to August, rice exports run year-round with a volume peak after the October-December harvest, potato exports from the February-March crop, dates from July to September, sesame after the October harvest, and seafood and meat as year-round cold-chain exports. Exporters should plan phytosanitary certification, vessel booking, and cold-chain logistics to align with the harvest window for each commodity.
| Kinnow | December to March — Pakistan's largest fruit export by volume, primarily to the GCC, Russia, and Central Asia |
|---|---|
| Mango | May to August — the flagship premium fruit export, with Chaunsa and Sindhri varieties in highest demand, primarily to the GCC and EU |
| Rice | Year-round with a post-harvest volume peak from November to March — Pakistan's largest agricultural export by value, to the GCC, China, and East Africa |
| Potato | February-March crop ships from March to May — to the GCC, Sri Lanka, and Central Asia |
| Dates | July to September — the Khairpur Aseel date and other varieties ship during and after the harvest to the GCC and beyond |
| Sesame | Post-October harvest ships from November onward — mostly to China, the dominant buyer |
Pakistan's agricultural export calendar is not spread evenly across twelve months. It pulses — kinnow in winter, mango in summer, rice year-round but with a post-harvest surge, dates in late summer, potatoes in spring. For the exporter, each pulse means a compressed window for procurement, processing, certification, vessel booking, and shipment, and the exporter who starts preparing after the harvest has started is already late. This calendar maps each commodity's export window and what the exporter should be doing in the months before it opens.
Month-by-month export calendar
| Month | Commodities in export window | Preparation milestone |
|---|---|---|
| January | Kinnow, rice, potato (storage) | Confirm kinnow vessel bookings for February-March peak |
| February | Kinnow, rice, potato | Begin mango orchard registration and packhouse approval for EU |
| March | Kinnow (last), rice, potato (last spring), onion | Confirm mango vessel bookings and reefer availability |
| April | Rice, mango (Sindh early) | Finalise MRL compliance with mango growers, book reefer containers |
| May | Mango (Sindh peak), rice, seafood peak | Mango export operations begin — HWT certification, phytosanitary, PSW filing |
| June | Mango (Punjab peak), rice, seafood | Mango peak — daily reefer loadings, maximum freight pressure |
| July | Mango (late), dates (early), rice, seafood, maize | Date harvest begins Khairpur — packhouse grading and fumigation |
| August | Mango (last), dates, rice, seafood | Last mango shipments — confirm date vessel bookings |
| September | Dates, rice, seafood, maize | Date peak export — phytosanitary and quality certification |
| October | Rice (new crop), sesame, maize, seafood | New rice harvest — ramp up export documentation |
| November | Rice, sesame, maize, seafood, onion (early) | Sesame peak — GACC certificates for China shipments |
| December | Rice, kinnow (early), sesame, seafood | Kinnow season begins — confirm vessel bookings for January-March |
What each commodity's export documentation set looks like
| Commodity | Phytosanitary | Special certificates | Cold chain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinnow | Required | EU: MRL test, GSP+ Form A | Reefer container |
| Mango | Required | EU: HWT certificate, orchard registration | Reefer container with data logger |
| Rice | Required | DLTL rebate claim, quality certificate | Dry container (reefer for premium) |
| Potato | Required | Quality grade certificate | Dry container |
| Onion | Required | Quality grade certificate | Ventilated dry or reefer |
| Dates | Required | Fumigation certificate, grade | Dry container (reefer for premium) |
| Sesame | Required | GACC registration (China), quality spec | Dry container |
| Seafood | Health certificate (MFD) | Halal if applicable, EU listing | Reefer container at -18C |
| Meat | Health certificate, halal | EU listing, MRL for feed | Reefer container at -18C |
How to build a seasonal export plan
The exporter who runs a single-commodity, single-season operation — kinnow only, mango only, rice year-round — needs to plan for that commodity's window. The exporter who runs a multi-commodity programme — kinnow in winter, mango in summer, rice year-round — needs to sequence the preparation so that as one commodity winds down, the next is ready to go.
For each commodity, the preparation sequence is:
- Pre-season (2-3 months before harvest): Confirm orchard, farm, or packhouse registration with the relevant authority. Obtain the buyer's quality specification. Arrange MRL compliance with growers — which pesticides, at what intervals — for the export crop. Book vessel space and reefer containers.
- Harvest window: Process the crop — grading, packing, fumigation where required. Apply for phytosanitary certificates through PSW. File export goods declarations. Load containers and ship.
- Post-season: Follow up on buyer quality claims. Process DLTL and drawback claims for eligible commodities. Review the season's logistics performance — which shipping lines performed, which buyers paid promptly — and plan improvements for next season.
Olympic Agencies has managed seasonal agricultural export programmes — kinnow, mango, rice, potato, onion, dates, sesame, maize, seafood, and meat — for Pakistani exporters at Karachi Port and Port Qasim since 1982. Our freight forwarding service covers the full seasonal logistics and documentation chain. WhatsApp us your commodity mix and target export months and we will build your seasonal export calendar.
Planning your export season? Let us build a commodity-specific logistics and certification calendar.
WhatsApp us your shipment details →Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start preparing export documentation for mango season?+
Mango harvest begins in late May in Sindh and extends through August in Punjab. The phytosanitary certificate through PSW, the hot-water treatment certificate for EU-bound mangoes, and the orchard registration and packhouse approval — required for EU and increasingly for premium GCC buyers — should be in place by April, a month before the first harvest. Vessel bookings for the peak June-July period should be confirmed by May, because reefer-container availability tightens during mango season as every exporter competes for the same reefer slots on the same sailings. Our mango export guide covers the hot-water treatment and EU certification path.
Can I export kinnow and mango together from the same packhouse?+
Operationally, yes — the packhouse can handle multiple fruit types — but the export documentation and phytosanitary certification are consignment-specific and buyer-specific. The phytosanitary certificate must match the commodity on the invoice and packing list, and a consignment containing mixed fruit would require separate certificates for each commodity. Most exporters ship single-commodity containers for logistics simplicity.
Which commodities need cold chain and which ship in dry containers?+
Mango, kinnow, fresh dates, fresh seafood, and chilled meat require cold chain — reefer containers with temperature control and temperature data logging. Rice, sesame, dried dates, potato, onion, maize, and processed food products typically ship in standard dry containers with ventilation and desiccants, though premium or organic rice may ship in reefers at the buyer's specification. Our guides to each commodity's export path cover the cold-chain requirements.
How do I plan freight for a commodity that ships only two months a year?+
Book vessel space early — shipping lines allocate reefer and container capacity months ahead, and an exporter who books in March for a May-June mango programme has priority over one who books in May. Build a relationship with a freight forwarder who understands the seasonal pattern and can hold space. If the buyer arranges freight — FOB terms — confirm the vessel booking with the buyer's forwarder well before the harvest. If the exporter arranges freight — CFR or CIF terms — the freight forwarder should confirm vessel space, the sailing schedule, and the transit time to the destination before the exporter commits to the harvest.
Olympic Agencies
Clearing agricultural cargo - seeds, fertilizers, and machinery - at Karachi Port and Port Qasim since 1982. Members of PIFFA and the Chamber of Commerce.
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