Mango Farming in Pakistan

[Bilal9]

By the way I believe (could be wrong) Langra and Fazri/Fazli varieties were indigenous to Rajshahi district (subdivision) in Bangladesh (these are still grown here, Fazli is the largest in size), which is the main center of Mango cultivation in Bangladesh.

Across the border in India is Malda district, where the Malda variety comes from. Malda is also a major center of mango cultivation in West Bengal I believe.

Bangladesh exports mostly a yellow banana variety (stringless) which is called 'HimSagar'.

Interestingly there are a lot of Mango cultivation hobbyists in Bangladesh who grow pygmy mango trees on their rooftops. Some also grow specialized varieties, such as the Purple Miyazaki from Japan, which sell for about Tk. 2.5 to 3 lakh per kg. in int'l market. Here is a video from Shykh Seraj' channel who is a noted agriculturist from Bangladesh.

All you need to know about most expensive purple Miyazaki mango

Miyazaki mangoes are one of the most expensive mangoes in the world and were sold at over Rs 400,000 per kilogram.

arynews.tv

 

[Bilal9]

World’s most expensive mango Miyazaki in Bangladesh

I have been roaming around the villages of Bangladesh since the early 80s to cover news of prospects, fortune and miseries of farmers and the farming sector, which you have seen on Bangladesh Television’s Mati O Manush (Soil & People) programme.

www.thedailystar.net

12:00 AM, June 18, 2021 / LAST MODIFIED: 01:43 AM, June 18, 2021

World’s most expensive mango Miyazaki in Bangladesh

Omar Faruque Bhuyian at his Miyazaki mango orchard on his rooftop garden in Dhaka’s Zafrabad area. Photo: Hridoye Mati O Manush

Shykh Seraj

I have been roaming around the villages of Bangladesh since the early 80s to cover news of prospects, fortune and miseries of farmers and the farming sector, which you have seen on Bangladesh Television's Mati O Manush (Soil & People) programme. Moreover, I went to different countries of the world to show the brilliant advancements in the agriculture sector that the farmers have made.

Since the beginning of Hridoye Mati O Manush (Soil & People in Heart) on Channel I, I concentrated to look at the farmers and the farming sector with a more in-depth vision, with perspectives like climate change, modern farming technologies, crop diversity, and policymaking in my thinking process.

It has been possible to ensure the food security of the growing population of Bangladesh with the help of agricultural scientists, researchers, farmers, extension workers, above all with the government patronage and active role of mass media for at least a decade. In this case, the development of high yielding rice varieties has played a big role.

Along with the huge spread of fish farming, the tide of poultry rearing among the youth made a remarkable stride. Agricultural diversity has increased at an optimistic speed. Cultivation of various foreign vegetables and fruits has also increased. Various fruits have been cultivated all over the country for years: malta, lemon, orange, strawberry, avocado, apple plum, dragon fruit, fig etc. I have had the great opportunity to see the agriculture that has changed during the past 50 years, since Bangladesh's independence.

Dear readers, back in 2006, I went to Japan. While filming at an agricultural market called Ameiko village in Tokyo, a mango seller called me. When I approached him, I saw red mangoes, that was probably the first time I saw the great red mango, Miyazaki. A few years back, 75 varieties of mangoes were displayed at the National Fruit Exhibition in Dhaka. The name of the mango varieties had a royal symbol at the fair. Khirbhog, Mohanbhog, Rajbhog, Ranibhog, Ranipachanda, Sindura, Subarnarekha, Jagatmohini, Khirmon, Dudhsar, Begumbahar, Pujaribhog, Rajalakshmi, Dudhkumari, Badshah-pachhand, Begumpachhand, Rajapachhand, Bonkhasa, Kohitur - more than a hundred kingly and queenly names of mangoes, which dates back to the ancient times of King Akbar the Great.

Greater Rajshahi is the capital of mango in our country. I remember getting acquainted with many eminent scientists while preparing a news report on fruit cultivation in Bangladesh during the 80s. Dr Amjad was one of them. At that time, I asked him, why sweet mango only grows in Rajshahi? Why mango cultivation is not possible in the whole country? He pointed out the limitations of soil and climate in mango cultivation around the country. But researchers gradually overcame that limitation. We now know that mango is now grown across the nation. Amrapali saplings first came to our country in 1990. The size of the tree is small. But the yield is high. 1,500 Amrapali saplings can be planted in 1 hectare of land at a distance of five hands. Sixteen metric tons of Amrapali can be yielded from a hectare.

New varieties, new names are constantly being added to the mango kingdom. Researchers have added Bari-4, Bari-11 and other mango varieties. More than that, different varieties of mangoes brought from abroad have been added. In particular, the local nurseries have introduced different varieties of mangoes from Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, China, Japan, Malaysia, etc. One such mango is Miyazaki from Japan. Miyazaki is grown in Japan's Miyazaki region in the south; thus it is called Miyazaki.

The Japanese name for this mango is 'Taiyo No Tamago', which means 'Egg of the Sun'. It's very sweet and the world's most expensive mango. Miyazaki Mango caught the attention on the internet in 2016 when a pair of mangoes' auction price was 500,000 Japanese Yen (USD 4547) in Fukuoka, Japan. Miyazaki is widely grown in greenhouses. I found this mango tree on one of the roofs of Dhaka but it couldn't give any fruit. I doubted whether this mango would grow in our country.

But overcoming all uncertainty, Omar Faruque Bhuiyan, an RMG entrepreneur from Dhaka's Zafrabad area, has miraculously grown the most expensive mango at his rooftop garden. A few days back, I went to his rooftop to see this. I would like to also mention that Miyazaki is being cultivated in different regions of the country and it's praiseworthy.

Omar Faruque is doing a fabulous job in producing Miyazaki. His family members, as well as friends, are cooperating with him in this endeavour. His roof was full of lush red Miyazaki mangoes. I was so amazed to see this. I felt like I entered a red orchard full of red mangoes. Omar Faruque is a very choosy man who picks on planting very carefully. Back in 2010, through one of his friends, he brought the Miyazaki scion and later on did the grafting to finally get the production on his rooftop.

I liked the spirit in him and certainly rooftop farming is going to such a place beyond our thoughts and these wonderful people have put themselves into farming with all their heart and passion. Omar Faruque plans for an extension of this variety if he's supported by the government in leasing lands at the hill tracts region. A young entrepreneur named Mong Setu Chowdhury and Hlashimong Chowdhury in Khagrachhari has also started cultivating Miyazaki. I have heard they have also grown quite a plenty this year. The prominent businessman of Chapainawabganj Akbar Hossain is also doing Miyazaki variety alongside other fifteen different mango varieties.

Dr Mehedi Masud, project director of "Year-Round Fruit Production for Nutrition Improvement" says Bangladesh's climate and the weather are perfect for Miyazaki production. Government horticulture centres are trying to produce saplings of this variety. Many private nurseries have moderately been successful in producing the saplings of Miyazaki. Moreover, if we want to grab the international market we need attractive and quality product along with Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certificate.

If we can combine this, Miyazaki can be added to the export market of Bangladesh. Some of our entrepreneurs invest in different agricultural goods without giving a good thought and analysis; I tell them not to do this, rather they should study before and then go for it and many have followed the right path. Farmers should focus on profit on loss and they should gain the right knowledge on how to farm a particular agricultural product. If we can properly understand how to grow Miyazaki in our country and with the government assistance in capturing the international market, I see a great future of this mango to be exported around the world from Bangladesh.

 

[ghazi52]

New farming method promises to multiply Pakistan’s mango yield

Young workers pose for a picture with freshly harvested mangoes at a farm in Tando Allahyar in Pakistan’s Sindh province. (AN photo by Zulfiqar Kunbhar)

A laborer cuts a mango from a tree at a farm in Tando Allahyar in Pakistan’s Sindh province. (AN photo by Zulfiqar Kunbhar)

A worker is seen pruning a mango tree planted in Tando Allahyar in Pakistan’s Sindh province. (AN photo by Zulfiqar Kunbhar)

New farming method promises to multiply Pakistan’s mango yield

TANDO ALLAHYAR: After a decade of declining harvest, mango growers in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province are pinning their hopes on a new farming technique that would allow them to increase their fruit yield up to six times, several growers and experts said. Pakistan is the world’s sixth-largest...

arab.news

• Mango grower in Sindh has introduced the small tree system of cultivating orchards, which allows more trees to grow on a smaller area
• Sindh has seen a decline in production volume largely due to outdated farming techniques

TANDO ALLAHYAR: After a decade of declining harvest, mango growers in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province are pinning their hopes on a new farming technique that would allow them to increase their fruit yield up to six times, several growers and experts said.

Pakistan is the world’s sixth-largest mango producer, with an annual production volume of about 1.7 million tons. While most of the harvest comes from Punjab, the Sindh province has the second-largest yield and is known for the Sindhri variety of mango, famous for its honey-like sweetness and deep, thin yellow peel.
But farmers are increasingly sounding the alarm on declining crop yield.

Sindh cultivated mangoes on 59,215 hectares of land and produced 381,269 metric tons in 2010. Provincial agricultural data shows this yield reduced to 329,300 metric tons by 2019.

Realizing that a major reason for the decline was outdated farming practices, one grower, Mahmood Nawaz Shah from the Tando Allahyar district, decided to try something new at his Genuine Delight Farms.
In 2019, he initiated a pilot project to cultivate new orchards under the small tree system (STS) on 1.6 hectares of land using a pruning technique that keeps the height of the mango plants at nearly nine feet, making their management easier and helping to accommodate more trees in a smaller area.

“The STS can revolutionize the quantum of our mango production,” Shah, who also represents a provincial farmers’ body, the Sindh Abadgar Board, told Arab News.

“We can increase our mango production some five times in this country,” he added, explaining that while the average mango yield per acre was five metric tons from large trees, an average of 25 to 30 metric tons could be harvested from the same area using the small tree system.

According to estimates by the Sindh Abadgar Board, the STS is currently being used on only 1,618 hectares of Pakistan’s total mango cultivation area of 167,000 hectares. In Sindh, only 10 growers have so far adopted the method.

“We are far behind when it comes to modernizing our farming structures and techniques,” Dr. Noor-un-Nisa Memon, a faculty member at the Sindh Agriculture University in Tando Jam, said.

It was high time, she said, that old mango orchards were replaced with new ones, but farmers in Sindh were reluctant to prune their trees, thinking it would reduce their yield.

Farmers, however, say they are willing to adopt new techniques but cannot do it without government support as most are small-scale growers.

“It is extremely important to adopt the STS to deal with the situation,” Mir Zafarullah Talpur, a grower from Sindh’s largest mango-growing district, Mirpurkhas, told Arab News.

“The government should arrange an extensive awareness program for farmers and provide them subsidies and installment facilities so they can import modern instruments.”

Hidayatullah CHajjro, director-general at Agriculture Extension, said the provincial administration had already arranged several training sessions to raise awareness among mango growers about new farming techniques but agreed that subsidies needed to be given to farmers who wanted to import essential gadgets and machinery.

“By adopting a comprehensive approach, such as the STS, not only can we reclaim our previous production level but also enhance it further,” CHajjro said.

Shah, who introduced the new farming method to Sindh, is hopeful the trend will gain momentum in the next few years.

“There are farmers who are waiting for the results,” he said. “Most of the farmers initiated the STS in 2019, and it requires at least five years for trees to develop fruit. If the result comes out positively, as per our expectations, there are chances that mango areas will see a sudden transformation, uprooting old practices and adopting new techniques.”

 

[jamal18]

I'm not a flag waver, and I believe that Pakistanis are some of the most self-delusional people in the world, but Mango is definitely the best of fruits and Pakistani mangoes the best.

I once tried South American mangoes, and was really dissapointed. To be honest they have improved in recent times, but still lag behind.

If I lived in pakistan I would definitely have a mangoe tree in my back garden!

 

[ghazi52]

Mango ( Aam) is a King of the all fruits. Mango is one of the most popular and healthy fruits with more tasty flavors, fragrance and taste. It is very nutritious.

There are many types of grafted (qalmi Aam) Mangoes and even more kinds of Desi Mangoes.

Mangoes is a great restorer of energy during the hot summer days.

Mangoes are rich source of vitamins, potassium, phenol and iron, and looks so tempting and tastes so yummy. It`s used for many purposes and eaten in a variety of ways. Mangoes really deserve to be called the `king of fruits`

Mangoes are grown under the season of summer from April to November,

A wide range of grafted and desi mangoes plants including

1 RATAY WALA,
2 SINDHRI ,
3 SINDHRI LATE,
4 DUSEHRI
5 FAJRI KALAN ,
6 CHAUNSA
7 CHAUNSA KALA
8 CHAUNSA SUFAID
9 ANWAR RATAUL
10 RATAUL 12 NUMBER LATE,
11 BANGANPALI (POHLAT),
12 NEELUM
13 LANGRA ,
14 KHUNI LANGRA,
15 ALPHANSO,
16 SAMAR BAHISHT
17 SUNGLAKHIA,
18 GULABKHASH,
19 12 MASIA
20 ZAFRAN ,
21 SABZPOSH
22 LAB-E-PARI

 

[ghazi52]

Sub-continent is the habitat of mango, where it has been growing for over 4,000 years and subsequently has spread to tropical and sub-tropical regions. Mangoes have been produced in Pakistan for well over two thousand years, and the country is now the forth largest producer in the world

Among 1595 varieties of mangoes known, only 25 to 30 are being grown on commercial scale. The varieties of the king of the fruit are producing in Pakistan include Chaunsa, Sindhri, Langra, Dasehri, Anwar Ratool, Saroli, Samar Bahisht, Toota Pari, Fajri, Neelum, Alphanso, Almas, Sanwal, Surkha, Sunera and Desi.

Chaunsa mango of Pakistan is one of the worlds’ top available varieties. Chaunsa is a variety of mango grown in different parts of the world, but originally from Rahim Yar Khan and Multan in Punjab. It is an exceptionally sweet mango with a wonderful fragrance and delicious soft, succulent flesh with only the minimum of fibre. it is not a fruit of beauty, usually being of a pale, matt yellow appearance, but one inside the thin peel it is a delight. Chausna has quite a thick stone and the flesh is a fairly light yellow in colour. It’s origin from Rahim Yar Khan and Multan Punjab.

Sindhri is a Leading variety of Sindh. Its shape ovalish long, size large, skin colour lemon yellow when ripe, pulp colour yellowish cadium, texture fine and firm fibreless, stone medium sized, flavour pleasantly aromatic and taste sweet. It’s origin from Mir Pur Khas. It is also the national fruit of Pakistan because this variety is top in Pakistan. Sindhri is very famous mango variety from Pakistan and Among the Best Mangoes of the World.

Langra mango’s flesh is fiber-less, yellowish brown in color and has a strong smell when it ripens. As compared to other varieties of mangoes, it is naturally verysugary and soft. The size of the seed is small and oval in shape. Langra maintains it green color after it gets ripe, while other mangoes change into yellow-reddish color.

Dasheri mango is long and oval shaped, with a light green or yellow-green skin when mature, becoming golden yellow when ripe. Dasheri mangoes have a fiberless, peach-colored flesh with a medium-sized stone. The flavor is very sweet and aromatic. Dasheri mangoes are high in vitamin C and fiber. Mangoes naturally contain enzymes beneficial for digestion as well as many other valuable vitamins and minerals.

Anwar Ratool, mango is said to have been cultivated by Anwar-ul-haq in a garden in the Ratol area in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. But now it is extensively grown in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Anwar Ratole Mango is recognized for its rich flavor all around the globe. Owing to its superb taste it has gained most popularity in recent times. It has an exceptional sweet taste that makes the tasting buds so refreshing. It is the best variety of mango in terms of sweetness and flavor that distinguishes it from all the other mangoes. Its peak season starts from the mid of July and ends in August. This mango is fully loaded with nutritional values that provides sufficient amount of energy. It is extensively grown in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Its peak season is from mid-July to August.

Saroli, A popular variety in North India and Pakistan. It’s one of the first mangoes to appear during the season. Sweet green mangos are aromatic and rich in fragrance. It is a rich source of vitamins, potassium, phenol and iron, and looks so tempting and tastes so yummy.

Samar Bahisht is a local selection; a change seedling in Fajri plantation in village “Chaunsa” by a farmer Mir Khan Bahadur Altaf Rasul very popular late season mango. It is planted in Multan, Mirpurkhas, Tarnab (DIK) Foliage medium dense, shape ovate to oval oblong, color light green at maturity, yellow at ripening, sinus weak, conspicuous, flesh pale yellow,medium juicy, sweet, flavor rich, distinctive, aromatic, fibers medium.

The Totapuri mango is a cultivar that is widely grown in South India and is partially cultivated in Sri Lanka. … Totapuri is one of the main cultivars grown in India for mango pulp, along with ‘Alphonso’ and ‘Kesar’. The tree is medium size with greenish yellow fruits.

Fajri , it is origion from Behar, it was created by a woman the name is after her, the skin is pale and the pulp is fibreless, Fajri is also known for its sweet taste and exceptional texture.

Neelam mango grows in many areas of Pakistan. The more famous Pakistani varieties are from the Sindh region, it is also very famous in Indian mangoes varieties. Noticeable with its distinctive lovely fragrance, Neelam is available throughout the season but the tastiest ones come in only by June with the monsoons. They are tiny in comparison to other varieties and have yellow-orange skin.

Alphanso, it is very sweet and different from others. This type of mango does not grow out of seed. It is planted through artificial propagation. It is a mid season variety and is harvested in July.

Desi mangoes, Since indigenous desi mangoes varieties are not as popular as the commercial ones like Chaunsa and Dussehri, growers are fast switching over to economically profitable varieties. This does not bode well for already threatened ‘desi’ varieties. It’s the cheapest mango and hardly known in the market, even though some of them are much easier to grow as compared to the commercial varieties. Most of the times, they grow out of discarded seeds. But, most of these mangoes remain confined to orchards as they are not popular.

The main mango growing districts in the Punjab province are Multan, Bahawalpur, Muzzaffargarh and Rahim yar Khan. In the province of Sindh it mainly grows in Mir pur Khas, Hyderabad and Thatta and in the province of NWFP D.I Khan, Peshawar and Mardan are known for it.

Mango is the second most exported fruit from Pakistan mainly to Middle East, Iran, Germany, Japan, China and Hong Kong making its valuable contribution as an important foreign currency earning fruit crop. Pakistan is now the 4th largest producer in the world behind India, China, Mexico and Thailand.

Mango is the second largest fruit crop of Pakistan. At present it has grown on an area of 170.1000 thousand hectares with production of 1.8 million tones. Only in Punjab province, there are mango gardens on 271,700 acres of land and they are producing 70% mangoes of total production, Sindh produces 24% and KPK produces 1% of total production, which seems to be reducing this year, the second major fruit crop of Pakistan produces 8.5% of world’s Mango. The climate earlier than that of Punjab has given the province the privilege to grow early varieties of Mango.

According to Waheed Ahmed Chairman All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Importers and Merchant Association (PFVA) that in the past few years the production of quality Mangoes is on the decrease due to global warming and government is not taking any imitative to tackle the problem.

Moreover he told that Pakistan’s horticulture has been badly hit by global warming and extreme weather, and a major casualty this season has been the Mango crop in Punjab. Mango output has also been affected in south Punjab where fruit plants are in Rahim Yar Khan, Muzaffargarh and Multan. However, the crop in Sindh is comparatively less affected and only a 10% reduction is likely in its share of 35% in the country’s total Mango output. In southern Sindh, Mango production has not been a viable business over the years due to harsh weather.

According to a senior official of the Agriculture Department, this year March surprisingly turned to be cold like January or February. Later the dust storms and sudden increase in temperature affected the fruit. “Farmers are worried, as they will hardly be able to recover cost,” he feared.

In addition he told that the Soil and climatic environment in Pakistan support Mango production in terms of capitulate and quality. Number of factors contributes towards low production of Mango. Unchecked use of unhealthy seeds forming diseased seedlings, Insect attack (Mango mealy bug, fruit fly, Mango weevil, scales, mites), improper management practices during budding or grafting, time of irrigation, pruning and time of application of fertilizers are contributing substantially to the downfall of the industry. Adding to the ever increasing problems are the post harvest losses contributing almost 40% to 50%.

. Pakistan is riding on the wave of taking more than 2 lakh mangoes to different parts of the world this year due to negligence mangoes shipment have been cancelled last year.

Since Pakistan’s last year mango production was reported to be 1.7 million tonne with two-third and one-third share of Punjab and Sindh respectively.

In addition to major crop losses, bad luck awaited Pakistan at another front. A Pakistani Mango consignment of 4.5 tonnes was rejected last year in Amsterdam after discovering fruit fly in the fruit, making the first such instance last year. The EU had already made it clear last year that more than five rejections will mean a complete ban on Pakistani fruit and vegetable imports in the European markets.

To promote and introduce mangoes Three-day annual mango show is arranged by Agriculture Department in RAHIM YAR KHAN and besides this National Mango and Summer Fruits Festival is also arranged every year at the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Exhibition Hall in Mirpurkhas.

Approximately 1% of Mango production is utilized for processing for juice, nectars, preserves, fruit leather, dried fruit slices, frozen pulp, and as flavoring for baked goods, ice cream, yoghurt, etc.

 

[ghazi52]

https://twitter.com/emnpk
Still you have chance to enjoy mangoes which you can buy from on Hyderabad to Mirpurkhas road. Fir nahi kehna k btaya nahi. ha ha ha

1:14 AM · Jun 22, 2021

 

[ghazi52]

U.S. Embassy Islamabad

@usembislamabad

What a beautiful view of the #Mangofields in Mirpur Khas, Hyderabad! Last year, Pakistan exported 82,000 metric tons of mangoes to the Middle East, Europe, the United States, and other countries. This beautiful has shared with us by photographer
@emnpk

 

[ghazi52]

For the first time, 3 varieties of Mangoes with Low or Sugar Free content introduced in Sindh and certified by the Sindh Govt. Developed in a farm near Hyderabad; named after world known irrigation expert MH Panwhar, the mangoes contain 4.7% sugar whereas Sindhri carries 12.7%.

 

[ghazi52]

Efforts under way to boost mango exports

Minister says old marketing methods limit exports to high-end markets


APP
July 11, 2021

MULTAN: Federal Minister for Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam on Saturday said that efforts were being made to improve production and export of mango for strengthening the country’s economy.

Speaking on the third day of the Mango Festival ceremony, Imam mentioned that mango production had stalled at 1.77 million ton for the last many years.

He said that mango exports clocked-in at 110,000 ton in 2019, adding that it increased to 140,000 ton during 2020 despite Covid-19. The minister added that mango exports stood at about 5-7% of the total production, which should be increased.

He said that in the current year mango exports have reached 67,000 ton so far.

Imam maintained that most of the exports were being made in low-end markets as 49,000 ton of Pakistani exports were exported to Afghanistan, 35,000 ton to the UAE and 20,000 to Iran while only a few hundred tons were being exported to high-end markets like Europe.

He said, “Pakistan has good quality mango but old marketing methods were being used.” The minister stated that developed countries focused on research to evaluate quality and production in every sector, however, “we do not have sufficient information about production of each variety of mangoes”.

He pointed out that mango was not being exported to 20 to 25 countries where demand for Pakistani mango was increasing.

Imam emphasised that the country could be made economically strong by improving agriculture sector through use of latest technologies and research-oriented changes.


Published in The Express Tribune, July 11th, 2021.

 

[Deltadart]

What about this japanese novelty variety of reddish purple color? Since it is being smuggled from countries to the east, I presume there is demand for it in Pakistan? So how about our people dabblings into this variety rather than wasting money on mangoes from the enemy and the frenemy countries?

 

[ghazi52]

Pakistan’s global mango footprint can earn revenues: President


The Frontier Post

ISLAMABAD (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday said with the best mango produce in the world, Pakistan had the potential to make a bigger export footprint of the “King of Fruits” by adopting proper agrarian techniques.

“Introduction of mango’s new varieties through research, quality control and value addition can help Pakistan earn high revenues in the international markets,” the president said in his address at the Mango Festival here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.

The Mango Festival was organized by the Rahim Yar Khan Chamber of Commerce and Industries, and the Ministry of Commerce that showcased a wide assortment of local mangoes, ranging from the well-known varieties like Chaunsa, Sindhri, Dusehri and Anwar Ratol to the less known Coconut Ambri, Surkha Gulab and Samar Bahisht.

President Alvi said Pakistan’s sweet mangoes could no doubt be presented before the world with great pride and mentioned in that regard his ‘mango diplomacy’ under which he had sent the gifts of mangoes to the rulers, presidents and prime ministers of different countries. The mango gifts were sent to 37 countries this year and to 17 last year, he added.

The president stressed that Pakistan needed to take measures in quality presentation of food produce to boost the exports.

To check wastage of perishable fruits, proper pest control techniques should be used before their transportation to the local and international markets, he added. Converting mangoes into pulp without use of preservatives could be a good idea to preserve the fruit for local use and export purpose, he added.

He said promotion of agricultural sector was also important to ensure food security, which could be an impending challenge in coming times.

Dr Alvi said to facilitate the traders, the government had taken effective steps such as ease of doing business, digitalization of business modes, grant of soft loans and offering entrepreneurship opportunities for women.

As regards the looming fourth wave of COVID-19, the president advised the masses to continue adhering to the precautionary measures, particularly the use of face masks.

“I appeal to you that help Pakistan maintain its edge in overcoming the coronavirus during the previous waves of the virus,” he added. President Alvi along with his wife Begum Samina Alvi visited the stalls, where traders from Multan, Bahawalpur, Khairpur, Jhang, Mirpur Khas and Hyderabad had put on display varieties of their mangoes.

Earlier, Punjab Minister Bashir Ahmed Khawaja said Rahim Yar Khan, the fifth populous district of Punjab, was the top producer of mangoes in the province.

He said having equal geographical distance to all the provincial capitals, Rahim Yar Khan’s growers were effectively transporting their produce to the rest of the country.

Parliamentary Secretary for Commerce Alia Hamza Malik said the agriculture sector as the main pillar of national economy contributed 19.2 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and employed 38.5 percent of the workforce.

She said Pakistan’s mango market offered a promising outlook as the government was engaging all the stakeholders, and also had set up a Working Group on Mango Production with involvement of farmers, growers, traders and commerce chambers.

She mentioned that the Australian government had recently established two mango processing units in Pakistan for their export to Australia.

Former president of Rahim Yar Khan Chamber of Commerce and Industries Abdul Rao Mukhtar said of the total mango produce of 700,000 tonnes, Rahim Yar Khan alone produced 250,000 to 300,000 tonnes of the fruit. He emphasized on setting up a special Mango Zone with processing units, cold storage chain, air cargo service and pulp-making section to avoid post-harvest loss.

 

[ghazi52]

Bought them from Pakistani store..............

 

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]

Fresh Chonsa mango from Pakistan available today at
Fruit and veg corner
119 burford road
Ng76ba