Mango growers seek exemption from farm, water taxes

Mango Growers Association (MGA) demanded of the Punjab government to exempt farm and water taxes for year 2005 in districts of the mango cluster areas badly hit by the dust storm of 9th. June. The meeting demanded agriculture debt relief from banks as well due to the current calamity.
The quarterly review meeting of the executive committee of the Mango Growers Association was held under the chairmanship of Syed Zahid Hussain Gardezi here on Thursday. The meeting took stock of the post-dust storm situation of the seasonal mango fruit and it also discussed the provision of facilities by the government in developing mango industry of the country.
The meeting was of the view that the non-existent infrastructure in the entire area has been the major cause of underdevelopment in this sector.
There was disappointment amongst the mango growers and the entire community associated with mango trade with regard to the development of the promised infrastructure for value added export.
DEPRIVATION: Strong feeling of deprivation was aired in the meeting, as development projects for south Punjab are delayed and later on abandoned. It was unanimously demanded that the promised Mango Export Processing Zone be established in Multan and made functional before the mango season 2006.
Though it is needless to highlight the fact that our mango is the best in the world and is globally in great demand, yet somehow or the other, the government is shy in investment to develop the required infrastructure, processing units and the cold chain system to exploit the great export potential of this prime fruit to its maximum.
The meeting appreciated the memorandum of understandings (MoUs) for export of mango to China and Iran but it was pessimistic because of the non-existent post-harvest technology and infrastructure in the mango cluster zones to honour these commitments.
The meeting desired the need of an efficient system to compensate losses to the mango growers in case of disasters and natural calamities and demanded "Orchard Insurance Scheme" should be launched in line with the crop insurance in developed countries.
The meeting discussed formation of Mango Co-operative Society by the Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board and endorsed this idea.
The meeting was attended by mango growers from Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Multan, Khanewal and Vehari districts.