Fruit farmers target EurepGap

The Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board (PHDEB) is helping kinnoo and mango farmers to attain the EurepGap (European Good Agriculture Practices) certification to ensure the flow of these products to big market chains in Europe.
Board Chief Executive Officer Shamoon Sadiq told Business Recorder here on Saturday that his organisation had set up 17 "produce marketing organisations" under which farmers were preparing to get this certification. He said these orchards would be put for auditing by the year-end to qualify for this certification.
These farms are located in Bhalwal, Sargodha, Mandi Bahauddin and Lilliani areas. Similarly thirteen orchards of mango including four big individual farms and four PMOs situated in Sindh, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Hyderabad and Lodhran are also preparing for this certification.
The chief executive officer, who has recently returned from Germany and Norway after arranging events to promote "Pakistani Mango", said their visit to these countries remained fruitful and four Pakistani fruit exporters had arranged "Mango Shows" in Berlin, Frankfurt and Oslo. "Everybody who tasted our fruit placed an order but we still need to make improvements in marketing," he added.