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The President of Mango Growers Association Pakistan Syed Zahid Hussain Gardezi has said "we need to provide identical opportunities and facilities to small, medium and large mango growers to enable this sector to become really profitable for the growers".
In a statement issued here on Saturday he said "we believe that without a broad based analysis of a sector which has fragmented foundations, which is wide spread and comprises majority of small and poor growers, we will fail not only to develop practicable national standards but would also not be able to add value to our produce".
With discredited and distorted marketing structure, a common vending place for all fruits, compelling large population of middle class and poor consumers, it is difficult to develop horticulture as a value-added entity. He said that Pakistan mango has a compulsory large global liking but it fails to attract connoisseurs due to lack of post harvest handling and sustainable national standards.
He said that during his recent visit to Syria, he was surprised to see South African mango selling at 250-300 Syrian liras per kilogram in retail markets which equated to about 300-400 rupees.
He was astonished to know that large Arab and Mid-eastern population was aware of the taste of Pakistani mango and spoke well about it, but were concerned about its availability. He said that we should make efforts to penetrate friendly Muslim countries markets where there are large number of expatriates settled such as Syria.
Zahid Hussain Gardezi proposed that in-store display and sale of Pak mangoes should be arranged in Damascus and Aleppo till the time our mangoes are fully exposed as an exotic fruit in Syria and other similar countries as Jordan, Turkey etc.
He said that efforts of Mango Growers Association are now focused on the concept of developing a project for providing affordable Pack House to almost all mango growers so that the initial phases of post harvest loses could be addressed.
We believe that a Pack House should replace our outdated packing areas presently visible in mango orchards by a standard structure cooled by air coolers or hydro-cooling.
Separate grading area, and packing area and hygienic staking. Government should help establish this basic facility at every mango farm, without which our efforts for value addition have no meanings. For export oriented activities all the updated gadgetry practised in developed world could be installed along with this mandatory Pack House. We desire that basic concept of good harvesting practise should emanate from a basic Pack House where growers could curtail post harvest losses.
He said that Mango Growers Association is pursuing hard to enlist growers co-operation for adoption of Global GAP protocol for which a Pack House becomes a necessary arsenal. Zahid Hussain Gardezi also appreciated the resolve of the incoming coalition government in Pakistan to address the issues of common man and said that 70 percent of such population are rural and agri-based.
He desired that the continued catastrophe of damages by frost in mango orchards during alternating two years demand a very sympathetic consideration and waiver of agriculture taxes on mango orchards for at least two years as a token relief to mango growers.
Zahid Hussain Gardezi said that Mango Growers Association Pakistan was too keen to highlight our genuine grievances and unresolved issues as soon as the Peoples Government is fully entrenched.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2008

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