Government may spend Rs 62 million: mango inaugural consignment to US on July 27

The government is likely to spend Rs 62 million on inaugural consignment of mangoes to Washington and Chicago, sources told Business Recorder here on Tuesday. Trade Minister in Washington, Azmat Ali Ranjha, has sought $37000 for Consulate in Washington DC and $35400 for Consulate in Chicago to facilitate mango consignments and their distribution among high dignitaries.
The first consignment will be sent on July 27, 2011. Last year, Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) had made arrangements to send mango shipment to USA, but that did not materialise. However, this year, it has been fully ensured that there are no hurdles.
PHDEC has selected Chaunsa variety of Ali Tareen Farms to be dispatched to the USA and the first consignment will be of 1200 kg. The consignment will be sent in reefer containers to maintain temperature, as advised by supply chain experts. Official documents show that arrangements were lined up in collaboration with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Ministry of Food & Agriculture (MinFA), National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO), Ministry of Commerce (MoC), Commercial Section ,Chicago, and GlobalGAP certified orchard owners but the exercise was called off at the last moment and the decision was taken at the inter-ministerial level and PM Secretariat.
For this season, PHDEC had made all preparations for June 8, 2011 and intimated the same to the Pakistan Embassy in the US, but Commercial Section of the Embassy asked for certain funds for the preparation and arrangements in the United States. PHDEC endorsed Consulate letters and sent them to Ministry of Commerce for approval of funds, and kept a follow-up letter in MOC.
Ministry of Commerce approved release of $35399 under letter No-1(14)/2005-Exp-IV (Vol.1) dated 13 June 2011 and instructed TDAP to directly release this amount to Consul General of Pakistan in Chicago. Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), however, has not yet transferred funds to Commercial Section despite repeated reminders from Ministry of Commerce, PHDEC, and Commercial Section, Chicago.
As far as inaugural consignment and related arrangements are concerned, PHDEC had booked space twice--first on 8th June, and then on 22 June 2011--but had to cancel due to non-readiness at the consignee end ie Commercial Section Consulate General of Pakistan, Chicago.
"We, at our end, are all ready to send the subject consignment on 27th July 2011, instead of 24th July as no flight is available on that day," said the Chief Executive Officer of PHDEC, Bashir Hussain, while talking to this scribe. PHDEC is working as a facilitator and the said consignment will be monitored by Department of Plant Protection (DPP)/NPPO, experts of Agricultural University of Faisalabad, representatives of USDA, etc.
Bashir said that PHDEC had worked proactively in this exercise in collaboration with Consulates General of Pakistan Embassy in the US, USDA, NPPO and all concerned. "In order to handle the consignment proposed to be dispatched on July 27, 2011 in USA, if there is delay in release of funds from TDAP to Consulate General of Pakistan, Chicago, it is suggested that the embassy should take over the whole exercise and utilise its own funds for expenses in USA which can be adjusted after the release from TDAP," sources quoted CEO of PHDEC as saying in one of his letters to Ambassador Hussain Haqqani. According to the letter, PHDEC will bear all expenses for sourcing, packing, logistics, air freight, etc, to dispatch consignment to USA for Chicago O'Hare International Airport on 27th July 2011.