KARACHI: The fruit prices have risen sky high due to non-arrival of mango due to climate change, giving chance to fruit sellers, particularly vendors, to mint money from other fruits by raising their prices sky-high, as authorities seem lethargic.
The fresh and fully ripe mango fruit is expected to arrive soon after the end of the Ramazan month, according to agriculture experts.
The price of a dozen bananas, which sells second number high in quantity after mangoes in Karachi, has risen to Rs100-120 from Rs60 a month ago.
The price of one kg apples has climbed to Rs150-250 from earlier Rs. 100-120 across Karachi as compared to last month price as the price control authorities has traditionally failed to take action against the fruit sellers.
“We are getting fruit from market at high rates and have raised the prices with this ratio. It is not our fault. Actually, it is the fault of the government, which has failed to control prices at wholesale markets, a vendor, Manzoor Ahmed told PPI. However, he admitted: “In coming Ramazan, we will raise the prices of fruit to celebrate Eid with happy as the government has failed to provide them any relief from the price hike.
We are also affected by the price hike and dollar hike caused by Imran Khan’s regime,” he said.
Climate experts believe 20 percent decline in mango fruit production this year as the unripe mango fruit has fallen from the trees due to gusty winds, hailstorms and rains last month.
“Adverse climatic implications in the country has caused massive crop damage this season as the weather turned hot during the peak mango flowering season that caused fall of unripe mango fruit.
The mango fruit will come in the market after end of Ramazan with low production.
However, the people will get mango at lower rates as compared to last year,” said a grower Ali Gul, working at a mango farm in village Dilawar Khuhro in Gambat Taluka.
Climate change has affected mango crop in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh and Punjab, by 20pc. The country may get late arrival of crop in both the provinces with less production.
“Pakistan is assessed to be one of the vulnerable countries to climate change.
This vulnerability is mainly due to its geographic location, demographic and diverse climatic conditions.
To reduce losses, Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) is one of the important steps towards identifying and assessing climate change adaptation challenges for Pakistan in order to align its adaptation needs and opportunities with goals and objectives of its sustainable development,” according to Economic Survey of Pakistan.
In past, mango growers were not taking too much interest in improving mango cultivation area because they were not highly paid. Now they are ambitious to enhance cultivation area as they are earning handsome amount by exporting this fruit. The mango orchards were located at an area of 117,000 hectares in the province during year 2011-12 while the cultivation area increased to 180,000 hectares in 2015-16, according to a report.
The mango is the national fruit of Pakistan. The main mango growing districts in the Punjab province are Multan, Bahawalpur, Muzzaffargarh and Rahimyar Khan.
In Sindh, it is mainly grown in Mirpur Khas, Hyderabad and Thatta, In Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, it is grown in DI Khan, Peshawar and Mardan.
Subsequently, a new trend of growing late varieties in Punjab has received a wide popularity which has extended the market period and added to the exportable surplus.
In Pakistan, 250 varieties of mango are found while most important commercial cultivars of Pakistan are Dasehri, Anwar Ratul, Langra, Chaunsa, Sindhri, Maldha, and Fajri.
In Pakistan, total area under mango cultivation is 170 million hectares with the production of 175 million tonnes being the second major fruit crop of Pakistan.
The country produces 8% of world’s mango and mainly exports to Middle East, Germany, Japan, Italy and UK making its valuable contribution as an important foreign currency earning fruit crop.
Pakistani mango is recognized as one of the best of its kind in the world market.
Pakistan is now the 4th largest producer in the world behind India, China, and Thailand.
It has been observed that in the past few years the production of quality Mangoes is on the decrease. Pakistan’s horticulture has been badly hit by global warming and extreme weather patterns.
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