Mango exports from Pakistan are expected to increase by seven percent to reach 150,000 tons this year.
This is despite the fact that the industry is facing adverse climate change and water shortage issues together with COVID-related movement restrictions.
The boost to exports is likely to come after the Australian Department of Water, Agriculture, and Environment has approved two Pakistani mango processing facilities for exports to Australia.
The two facilities in Sindh — Mustafa Agriculture Farm, Kotri, and Iftekhar Ahmed & Co, New Sabzi Mandi, Karachi — are in addition to two other facilities already operating under the approval, Consul General of Pakistan in Sydney, Muhammad Ashraf, said while speaking to media.
The Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce, Abdul Razak Dawood, also took to Twitter to announce this move by Australia. He congratulated the two companies on this achievement and said that the approval had come “just in time for the mango season.”
I am glad to share that two mango treatment facilities in Pakistan, Mustafa Farm and IAC, have been approved by Australian authorities for export of Mangoes from Pakistan. This has been done just in time for the mango season.
— Abdul Razak Dawood (@razak_dawood) May 25, 2021
Last year, the export target for mangoes was set at 80,000 tons, but higher demand led to much higher exports. Last year, a notably higher demand was seen from Japan, and this year, Australian authorities have come forward with higher demand for Pakistani mangoes.
Patron-in-chief of All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA), Waheed Ahmed, said that Pakistan could earn nearly $127.5 million from mango exports this year compared to $120 million with 140,000 tons.
The PFVA officials also said the government should aim to explore international markets of Russia and China for the export of mangoes that also have great potential as destinations for Pakistani products.
Waheed Ahmed stressed that climatic changes are having dire impacts on the mango crops for the past five years, which is not only delaying the harvesting period but is also resulting in a shortage of mango production.
Ahmed said mango exports via sea this year face stiff challenges due to a shortage of reefer containers and high freight cost. Of the total export volume of mangoes, 55 percent is exported by sea, 25 percent by land routes and 20 percent by air. “Pakistan can be included in the list of top three mango exporting countries of the world within a period of 4 – 5 years. It is imperative to focus attention on high-value markets such as Japan, US, Australia, South Korea, and China,” he said.
“Pakistan’s mango exports are feared to decrease if the situation won’t change,” said Ahmad Jawad, former Chairman of the horticulture exports committee of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Pakistani mangoes are expected to enter the Chinese market on a large scale this season. Last year, the country held a mango tasting event in Shanghai, and the feedback from the Chinese consumers was very positive.
