HYDERABAD: The First Mango Festival and Exhibition, hosted by Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), Tandojam, and co-organized with the Pakistan Maritime Museum, concluded with immense enthusiasm. The festival featured an array of mango stalls, mango ice cream, juices, and various other stalls. A large crowd of citizens attended the event, enjoying the diverse mango products, Sindhi culture, and music during the closing celebrations.
The inaugural and closing ceremonies were attended by Minister Agriculture, Supply & Prices Department, Government of Sindh, Sardar Muhammad Bux Mahar, Chairman Sindh Higher Education Commission (SHEC) SM Tariq Rafi, SAU Vice Chancellor Dr. Fateh Marri, Vice Chancellor of Begum Nusrat Bhutto Women University Dr. Tahmina Mangan, Secretary of Universities and Boards Abbas Baloch, Secretary Agriculture Rafiq Buriro, DG Maritime Museum Azam Tariq, former Vice Chancellor Dr. A.Q. Mughal, Former minister Muhammad Nauman Sehgal, Director General Agriculture Research Sindh Noor Muhammad Baloch, TCN Executive Forum head Shehryar Ahmed, DG TDAP Abdul Karim, Chairman SIDA Qabool Muhammad Khatian, DG Trade Development Authority, and officials from Sindh Enterprise Development Fund, among others.
The exhibition showcased a variety of stalls from the Institute of Food Sciences and Horticulture Department of SAU, Agriculture Research Sindh, Sub Campus Umerkot, Horticulture Institute Mirpurkhas, MH Panhwar Farms, Palh Farms Tando Allahyar, and others. These included mangoes and their by-products, mango grafting demonstrations, Sindhi cultural stalls, and food stalls.
On this occasion, experts from the horticulture department of SAU demonstrated the modern technology of grafting mango plants. The event drew interest from people across Karachi and various parts of Sindh, with women enjoying traditional attire and children indulging in ice cream, juices, and other treats.
The primary objective of the festival was to promote national products, especially mangoes, at the business and export level, and to attract urban investors’ attention to business and export opportunities in agricultural and food products. It also aimed to foster connections between industry and academia.
In his speech, special guest Agriculture Minister Sardar Muhammad Bux Khan Mahar expressed optimism about the festival’s positive outcomes. He announced plans to gradually hold festivals for exportable agricultural products such as mangoes and dates in Karachi, ensuring the participation of investors, particularly women, in exhibitions organized in collaboration with Sindh Agriculture University, the Sindh government, and the Maritime Museum. He highlighted the impact of climate change on mango orchards in Sindh and the efforts to establish modern research centers for mango production in the region. The minister also emphasized introducing Sindh’s mango varieties to other countries to boost global exports.
Expressing his views, Chairman SHEC Dr. S.M. Tariq Rafi said that with this healthy activity of SAU, not only the industrialist here will be aware of the scope of investment in the agro-based industry, but also the importance of urban agriculture and agricultural education among the youth.
SAU Vice Chancellor Dr. Fateh Marri reiterated that the festival aimed to highlight business opportunities in agriculture and the agricultural industry in Sindh and Pakistan, promote agricultural education, and foster connections between urban investors and agriculture. He announced plans to organize a larger mango show in Karachi next year with the Sindh government and Maritime Museum.
DG Maritime Museum, Captain Farooq Azam, announced plans to hold a Date Festival on August 14 this year in collaboration with the Sindh government. He stressed the need to increase the export of Sindh’s mangoes, especially the popular Sindhri variety, in the USA and other countries.
A panel discussion on the potential, challenges, and opportunities in mango cultivation in Sindh and Pakistan featured experts such as Professor Dr. Abdul Mubeen Lodhi, Dr. Mujahid Laghari, Dr. Zulfiqar Yousfani, Dr. Tanveer Fatima Miano, Ghulam Sarwar Panhwar, Nabi Bux Sathio, and Dr. Asia Akbar Panhwar, along with a large number of farmers.
Commander Karachi Rear Admiral Muhammad Saleem toured the mango festival and exhibition, showing great interest in the displays. He emphasized the importance of promoting such activities and preparing products according to value chain and export standards. He also discussed various bilateral interests with Vice Chancellor Dr. Fateh Marri.
On the closing evening of the program, participants, organizers, volunteers, and representatives of the institutions with stalls were awarded certificates of appreciation by Vice Chancellor Dr. Fateh Marri and DG Maritime Museum Farooq Azam. Sindhi artists added charm to the event with national songs and cultural performances in Sindhi and Urdu, continuing the program late into the night.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024