The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will help the Punjab government in setting up a 'Centre of Excellence for Mangoes' in the province with a view to carry out research and extension work simultaneously for increasing its exports.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two parties is going to be signed shortly in this regard. The Centre will revive the 'Mango Development Company' and work to provide mother plants, certified nurseries and other assistance to mango growers to get high quality disease-free produce, meeting international criterions for enhancing the share of Pakistan in the export market of this fruit, particularly in the backdrop of imposition of Global Gap Certification by the European countries.
This was disclosed by the Special Secretary Agriculture Marketing, Tahir Khurshid while speaking with a select group of newsmen at a session arranged by the USAID here on Thursday to discuss the outcome of a delegation of Pakistani mango growers and government officials, which visited the Fruit Logistica 2010 in Berlin, Germany.
Through participation Pakistan's growers and exporters established linkages with retail and wholesale supermarkets, horticulture experts and research institutes to increase exports of Pakistani mangoes. The visit was supported by USAID/Pakistan's FIRMS project as part of its'Muavan Mango Programme,' which provides technical, training and other support to the mango farmers of Pakistan.
Tahir Khurshid, Special Secretary for the Department of Agriculture Marketing said that Fruit Logistica helped him gaining more knowledge of best practices for agriculture marketing, including better use of technologies to support farmers with critical information. Improving the technologies will allow the department to provide better agriculture marketing information services, he observed.
He said that the growers had first hand knowledge by attending this fair of changes in packaging of this fruit, requirement of the international market with regard to quality, consistency in supply and matching various international standards such as GlobalGAP.
Tahir appreciated the USAID for providing an opportunity to all stakeholders of the mango sector (including growers, departments concerned and exporters) to join hands for enhancing the export of the Pakistani mangoes, that has potential to make itself a preferred choice for consumers, compared to more widely available varieties imported from South America.
He said Pakistan was producing 1.7 million tons of mangoes annually but last year it exported only 1,30,000 tons, which is mere five percent of the total produce out of which 75 percent is exported to the UAE by sea. There is a huge potential to increase export from 35 to 40 percent of the total produce, which is surplus after local consumption, if the farmers are provided with necessary infrastructure such as blast chillers, reefer containers and technology to increase the shelf life of the fruit so as to export it through sea (a cheaper way of transportation) to capture the place in high-end market. Presently 75 percent of our export is to Gulf region where it is not attracting a high price, he remarked.
Responding to a question, he said the mango export presently is not more than one million dollar, yet the Punjab Chief Minister has given a task to enhance horticulture exports to the tune of one billion dollars within three to five years.
Muzaffar Hayyat Khan Khakwani, President Mango Growers Association and Muhammad Tariq Khan, owner of Lutfabad Mango Farm sharing their experience said that marketing tour provided them with first-hand information on the mango varieties desired by the international markets. 'We are learning a great deal about quality and packaging requirements that will help us meet international standards and increase sales,'they added.
They stated that they had learnt a lot while working with the USAID through participation in workshops, training programmes and sitting with the international consultants. They said that Pakistani growers need blast chillers, proper packaging sheds, cold storage, hot water treatment and other such facilities.
He said that they had to do away with the wooden boxes in which traditionally mangoes are packed to meet the international standards. They said that they are gong to sign an MoU soon with the USAID for setting these facilities as 'common facility centre.'
They also said that growers should be given soft loans by the banking sector with a payback time from five to ten years to help them attaining the international standards.
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