Pakistan has set a mango export target of 150,000 tonnes for the current 2021 season, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, Pakistan exported 80,000 tonnes of mangoes, but the demand for mangoes on the international market has increased.
Pakistan’s mango is being adored worldwide for its flavor and sent to heads of state under a trade diplomacy initiative every year.
Last year, President Arif Alvi gifted mangoes to heads of friendly states, as well as to potential buyer countries, to show the brightness of Pakistani mangoes. Prince Charles expressed his love for Pakistan’s delicious mangoes and thanked President Arif Alvi after receiving a gift from the Pakistani fruit king.
According to an announcement made by the Association of Exporters, Importers, and Traders of All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association (APFVEA) here on Tuesday, exporting 150,000 metric tons of mango would yield a valuable exchange of more than $ 127.5 million.
APFVEA urged the government to focus on the promising international markets of Russia and China for the export of mangoes with immense export potential and strongly recommended mango promotions for wide-ranging mango advertising.
Waheed Ahmed, head of the association said that following a realistic strategy under GOP sponsorship, Pakistan can be included in the list of the world’s top three mango exporting countries within a period of 4 to 5 years; however, for this, it is imperative to focus our attention on high-value markets such as Japan, USA, Australia, South Korea, and China.
He emphasized the need for extensive Research and Development (R&D) to improve the quality and cosmetic appearance to obtain easy access to those markets that strongly believe in the “impressive quality and appearance” of the fruit.
APFVEA has already shared its comprehensive and realistic research and development plan with the Federal and Provincial Governments as an integral part of the “Vision of Horticulture-2030”, a roadmap developed by APFVEA to elevate the Horticulture sector and by implementing this vision in the letter and spirit, the effect of climate change can be drastically minimized.
However, when talking about the challenges for mango production and export, the APFVEA official says that climate change has had a serious negative impact on mango crops over the past five years, resulting in a shortage of mango production along with an additional mango harvest period and in addition to the delay in maturation of mango crops, the resilience of mango against various diseases is also weakened.
Meanwhile, the adviser to Pakistan’s Prime Minister for Trade and Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood, said on Tuesday that two mango processing facilities in Pakistan have been approved by Australian mango export authorities.
