Export of unripe mangoes is rapidly eroding the long established image of this fruit abroad because of delay in implementation of standards of this item which ensure proper quality, weight and maturity of the fruit. The export of immature mangoes without any standardised weight is making it less competitive abroad.
This standard is meant for quality requirements of mangoes at the export control stage during preparation and packing, ensuring maturity of fruit and its proper weight.
"The draft of the standard was submitted to the government some time back. However, it is still not decided as to which department would implement it," sources in horticulture export sector told Business Recorder on Saturday.
They said that the ball has been rolling for quite some time between Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) and Pakistan Horticulture Development & Export Board (PHDEB), which falls under Commerce Ministry.
Sources regretted that due to the apathy on the part of concerned departments to take the issue seriously, the situation is bleak for mango exports as due to this shortcoming, the actual potential of this fruit is yet to be exploited in the true sense.
A quick review of this standards draft shows that it deals right from the harvesting of the crop to its arrival at the final destination, envisaging that mangoes must be carefully picked at the stage of physiological development and maturity to ensure continuation of a ripening process until they reach the appropriate degree of ripeness and also to withstand transport and handling and to arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination.
Sources said that a particular lobby of exporters is behind non-implementation of these standards as it wants to have quick gains through export of immature mango which is hurting the export sector at large.
For instance, they said, the export of 'Sindhri' variety had started from May 15 of this season, whereas this variety matures, developing its real taste, in the first weak of June.
"A particular group of exporters exported this immature fruit, which left a bad impression on consumers in foreign markets, and subsequently no one turned up to get this variety again," sources said.
An exporter of mango, Syed Zahid Ali, of Ali & Co, said that the country would earn more foreign exchange through export of mangoes if matured fruits were exported.
He said that around 50 percent 'Sindhri' variety had been exported by first week of June, which was totally immature because the time of proper ripeness of this variety is in early days of July.
"Undoubtedly, this immature crop had brought some foreign exchange for the country, but the amount would have been much higher if mature form was exported," he added.
In addition, he said, the situation would be further suitable for more export as this tasteless fruit compelled the consumer to move to mangoes from other countries.
He deplored that this state of affairs is worsening with each passing day as the number of Pakistanis among leading exporters around the world has come down over the years because of this problem.
He said that maturity date and proper weight of exportable fruit should be mentioned on the packing as required under grading standard.