The Mango Growers Association of Pakistan has expressed concern over the uncertainty of mango export this season after the warning of a ban on it by the European Union (EU) over fruit fly infestation.
In a press release issued in in Multan yesterday, the association president Syed Zahid Husain Gardezi said it was unfortunate that despite being the fifth largest producer of mango in the world the country never had any formidable policy in line with the global changes.
“All our horticulture policies are implemented on an ad hoc basis according to donors’ preferences while almost 99pc of mango growers are sidelined,” he said, adding the ban on Indian mango this year by the EU was a wake-up call for the Ministry of National Food Security and Research which had formulated rules for allowing mango export only from the orchards having mandatory clearance and certificate by the quality control section of the Department of Plant Protection.
“Federal Minister for Food Security and Research Sikander Hayat Bosan has stated on record that Pakistan would prefer shrinking its export figures than allowing uncertified fruit to be exported to the EU and induce a ban,” Mr Gardezi said.
