Pakistan's mango production is expected to show a 30% year-on-year decrease to 1.2 million metric tonnes (MT) this season due to prolonged winters and unexpected frosts.

All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchant Association (PFVA) chairman Waheed Ahmed, told Paktribune.com the decline was due to weather changes that affected mango groves in many parts of the country.

He said trees were affected in Sindh province areas Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar, Mirpurkhas and Mityari, and Punjab province areas Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Shuja Abad, Muzaffar Garh and Khanewal.

As Pakistan only exports 6% of its mangoes this is not expected to affect exports but will lead to higher domestic prices.

The season is due to start at the end of next month with the target for exports this year set at 150,000MT with an estimated revenue of US$50 million.

Last year 134,00MT of mangoes were exported, against a target of 170,000MT, generating about US$38 million in revenue.

Multan Progressive Mango Growers chief executive officer Tariq Khan, told www.freshfruitportal.com problems with infrastructure were more of a hurdle than the low volume.

"Incompetencies in the bureaucratic structure within Pakistan, is the main reason, for not having the infrastructure in place, especially the lack of hot water treatment quarantine and vapour heat treatment (VHT), which is especially missing in the main mango producing areas."

Waheed told Paktribune.com that honey mango exports to the U.S. and Japan was unlikely to happen this year because of a lack of a suitable VHT plant in the country.

He said a lack of quarantine facilities in Pakistan for consignments to the U.S. would deter exporters from bearing the freight cost of sending an entire consignment out before gaining quality approval.

Khan expressed frustration with U.S. authorities for not allowing Pakistani growers to use India's irradiation, facility forcing them to bear the higher costs of the irridation center in Sioux City, Iowa.

Waheed said Pakistan's Ministry of Commerce has yet to respond to the Commercial Processing Plant and Common Facility Center proposal submitted some time ago.

Khan said the government should move forward with infrastructure investment, given this was an expense unlikely to be borne by the country's entrepreneurs.

Waheed described the visit of Australian quarantine officials later this month, to inspect mango farms and processing units, prior to allowing Pakistani exports later this year as "an important development".

Related stories: Pakistani mango exports to U.S. in jeopardy over import costs

Pakistan expects to export mangoes to Australia, Lebanon in 2012

Photo: Pmgmultan.org

www.freshfruitportal.com