Pakistan's Mango Growers Association (MGA) president Syed Zahid Hussain Gardezi says a lack of logistical facilities is holding back exports, website Brecorder.com reported.

He said this year the industry is unlikely to hit its 150,000 metric tons (MT) export target with a predicted volume of 100,000MT by the end of September.

"However, like the previous year the target appears to be an uphill task spurred by the logistic problems which have emerged as the single most deterrent factor towards realization of our cherished objective," he was quoted as saying.

Gardezi said fruit exporters had told him that foreign shipping companies' casual approach to Pakistan had pushed many of them to the verge of bankruptcy.

He claimed last month a shipment destined for for Dubai was shipped to Qatar, causing irreparable damage to the exporters.

Gardezi said Pakistan International Airlines had shown a similar attitude ignoring mango exporters' requests to take proper care of shipments, resulting in a 30% decline of air freight exports.

He criticized customs officials at Karachi Port and the Anti Narcotic Force for prolonging exports for different destinations.

In addition, he said importers had complained to Pakistan exporters about damage to shipments with tampered consignments.

Alongside this, he claimed many foreign airlines were no longer flying to Pakistan leaving exporters at the mercy of the national airline.

He maintained the prevailing crisis was further exacerbated by the international trading ban to Iran, which used to import around 30,000MT annually.

However, the country's first 2.5MT consignment to South Korea at the beginning of July had generated further 22MT of orders, according to Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC).

PHDEC chief executive officer Bashir Hussein, said this year his organization had finalized paperwork for mango exports to Australia.

He added a trial shipment sent to the Netherlands had taken 26 days with the mangoes arriving in good condition. He said this proved that sea shipments were a cheaper alternative for bulk exports to Europe compared with air freight.

Bashir added that Netherland imports for 2011-12 were 537MT, more than three times 2010-2011's figure of 184MT.

He forecast exports for 2012 would be just over 100,000MT, compared with 92,000MT in 2011, 85,000MT in 2010 and 75,000MT in 2009.

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