Pakistan is all set to start this season’s mango exports from May 20, eyeing a target of 100,000 metric tons this year, despite climate-change induced poor harvest.
All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association (PFVA), says Pakistan is ranked the sixth largest producer of mango, known as the King of Fruits, in the world.
But the country has just 3.1 percent share in the global export market, mainly due to poor marketing techniques and high post-harvest losses.
Over 50 varieties of mango are cultivated in this South Asian country including popular Anwar Rathore, Chaunsa, Sindhri, Langra, Dusehri and Fajri mangoes.
“Pakistan is going to mango production of 1.2 million tons against last year’s 1.8 million tons due to severe climate change issues,” says Waheed Ahmad, who heads PFVA.
Ahmed said stormy weather, unexpected heavy rains and hailstorms had damaged mango orchards in Sindh by 10 percent and in Punjab by around 35 percent, which reduced the total production to around 1.2 million tons.
“Besides favorable season, support as well as cooperation from shipping and airline companies, quarantine department, anti-Narcotics Force, Customs, and other related agencies is required,” mango exporters body chief said.
Pakistani Mangifera ‘Dasheri mango’ Credit: Khalid Mahmood/https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7111299
Pakistan had been able to export 75,000 tons of mangoes last year.
The target has been increased to 100,000 tons this year to earn foreign exchange worth US $ 80 million this year.
“China and the USA would be focus of attention for an additional export volume during this year, while special mango promotion campaigns would also be conducted in European Union countries,” Ahmed said.
Unlike sale of the fruit to the Gulf, South East Asian and the Far Eastern markets, mango exports to U.S. and most of the European Union are consignment based.
“We are planning to have regular mango exports to the United States, a quality conscious market,” says Muhammad Ashraf, Director General of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP).
During her 2010 visit to Pakistan, former US Secretary of State,Hilary Rodham Clinton had shown special interest in Pakistani mango , hoping that mango diplomacy could play a big role in improving US-Pakistan relations.
Pakistan started exporting mangoes to the United States about a decade ago. The export process to the United States involves irradiation and quality packaging.
In order to boost the quality of this taste bud tingling fruit, Mango Research Institute, Multan has launched several initiatives.
“With funding from Nestle Pakistan, the institute has started two projects to help growers improve the produce and save water,” says Abid Hameed Khan , an expert at MRI.
The drip irrigation system, introduced at mango orchards, has helped irrigate one acre of the land within seven to eight minutes by providing 2 liters of water to each plant, saving 95 per cent water as compared to traditional flood irrigation.
