A brief account of mango production and its potential and suitability for export is given below: Mango having numerous kinds and varieties (both grafted and Desi) is grown in all the four provinces in different hectarage as shown herewith.
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Province Hectares
Punjab 54,000
Sindh 46,000
Balochistan 11,000
NWFP 2,000
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SOURCE: Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS).
VARIETIES GROWN: Numerous kinds of mango (both grafted and Desi) are grown in the country. Desi varieties have no distinct names are consumed by turning them into fluid form and packed in tetra packs in one litre cartons and are mostly sold in the bigger urban consumer centres. The grafted varieties, are eaten as a table fruit both domestically and internationally. A few kinds available for marketing in different months are (1) Sindhri (2) Chaunsa (3) Saroli (4) Zafrani Saroli (5) Langra (6) Anwar Ratol (7) Neelum.
EXPORTS: At the global level, mango's share in the world export of fruit is about 15 percent, out of which 80 percent is Pakistan's share. As stated earlier, mango produce in Pakistan amounts to about ten lakh tonnes, out of which 77 thousand tonnes move into export outlets, which is only 7 percent of total output.
Till now mango was subject to compulsory grading for export by the Federal Marketing Department. But the Federal government (Ministry of Food and Agriculture) in its wisdom has stopped their grading before export for about 3 or 4 years. Now mango is being exported without grading.
Although mango export has been increasing yearly, the prices received by Pakistan in the import market are much lower than our other competitors because of their better packaging.
Our mango has reached as far as Far East on the export front and to Britain and other European countries, yet the Gulf States are the largest purchasers of our fruit. As a modest estimate of about 70 percent of our mango export is purchased by Abu Dhabi which has now turned in a bulking and distribution centre for the entire Gulf States.
Pakistan government needs foreign exchange for her various development mega projects. A sizeable share of the same may be earned from mango export if the government takes necessary steps to increase its earnings.
The Federal Budget has now been announced, the concerned authorities should rise to the occasion to take measures for increased mango export. The bureaucrats have the least knowledge of the subject, so it is suggested that retired marketing experts may be invited to do the job on just nominal remuneration. This would serve a dual purpose-increase in the income of the retired marketing experts as well as broad-basing the export of mango to earn the much-needed exchange.
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