In order to enhance the shelf life and quality of mango, the government has started the implementation of a comprehensive programme. As part of its plan to high value crops, the first phase of "developing post-harvest management and sea-freight technology for exports of prime quality of mango" has been kicked off in Sindh.
According to officials, the programme is being jointly carried out by the Pakistan Horticulture Development & Export Board (PHDEB) and Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
Chief Operating Officer (CEO) PHDEB Mohammad Iqbal told Business Recorder here on Thursday that 'the programme is aimed at increasing the shelf life by minimising the decay of mango fruit from the growing areas to its final destination;'
also, to improve the quality to make it more competitive in international markets. "Pakistan is exploring more markets for its horticultural products and addition of China and Iran in this list demands a high quality of fruit," he added.
He said: "The basic objective for increased shelf life of mango is to ship it through sea route, which costs the exporters less as compared to export of mangoes through air route."
Besides, the capacity to transport bulk mango cargo through air route is limited, so plans are in hand to switch to sea route by increasing the shelf life, so that it could not be spoiled during shipment.
Post-harvest physiologist Dr Amanullah Malik of Agriculture University Faisalabad, who is involved in this project, said that mango orchards in interior Sindh had been visited to collect the samples for this programme.
He said that the programme would be completed in three phases and "static trial" of the programme has been started. "The results of this exercise would be demonstrated to mango exporters to make them adopt the new ways for enhancing shelf life and quality of this fruit," he added.
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