Pakistan can earn 1,400 dollars per ton through mango export if it develop its quality, processing, packing, grading standard of United States level, now it was earning merely 350 dollars per ton.
Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) Senior Vice President Khawaja Muhammad Ali said this while delivering his speech at one-day seminar on "Pre & post harvest technology and value-addition of mangoes," jointly organised by Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and MCCI here on Saturday.
The seminar was attended by Mango Growers Association President Syed Zahid Hussain including member of the chambers, mango growers and exporters. MCCI Senior Vice President Khawaja Muhammad Ali said Pakistan was the fifth largest mango producing country but it was still deprive of modern technology.
He said that no other mango growing country could compete Pakistan in the taste, flavour, pulp and beauty, but our mango was being wasted due to recklessness of concern institutions and orchards owners themselves.
Khawaja Muhammad Ali said Multan was not only a cotton-growing zone but was also a mango producing area. He said that we were producing 1.34 million tons of mangoes per annum but we were exporting less than six percent.
If the government patronised the mango growers, then mango export could earn 125 million dollars per annum and mango production could be increased by 50 percent. He stressed the need for good packing and display of the mango.
Mango Growers Association President Syed Zahid Hussain said we could increase the life of mango through cool chain management, adding that it was not possible without support of the government, private sector, exporters and other stakeholders. He threw light at length on this system.
TDAP Director (Co-ordination) Ikram-ullah delivered his speech on role of TDAP. Ayub Research Institute, Faisalabad, Food Technologist Ijaz Ahmed Sumbal threw light on value-addition and mango processing. Pakistan Horticulture Export Development Board Manager Technical Babar Ehsan Bajwa, Entomologist Tariq Malik and Soil Chemist (Multan) Qaiser Javed also spoke.
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