OWING to an early harvest the daseri and saroli varieties of mangoes of Mirpurkhas region are fetching attractive returns to orchard-owners and contractors from urban markets. Sindh’s leading variety, sindhri, has just started reaching the cities.

Imdad Ali Nizamani, who harvested saroli and daseri in early April, found a ready Punjab market that fetched him lucrative returns. His first vehicle of daseri mangoes despatched to Lahore fetched him Rs720,000 excluding of transportation cost and agents’ commission.

In Hyderabad’s market saroli is being retailed at Rs100 per kg and chaunsa at Rs120. A vehicle carrying around 1,100 wooden boxes (8-9kg each) or 9,900kgs of mangoes was sold for Rs794,000 on May 17 excluding transportation, loading/unloading cost and agent’s commission.

A mixed variety of A-quality mangoes, daseri, sindhri and saroli is loaded in each such vehicle. On an average each box of A-quality mango was sold between Rs900 to Rs950 and likewise category-B was sold for Rs600 to Rs575. In Karachi, the 8-9kg box of A-quality sindhri is sold for Rs500-Rs600 against Rs550-Rs700 in Peshawar.


Orchard owners relate early picking of daseri to better management practices: induced dormancy in mango trees and proper application of potassium and other farm inputs for improved productivity


Prices would stabilise in peak season and increase when exports pick up.

Karamullah Sand, who owns an orchard in Mirpurkhas region, relates the early picking of daseri to better farm practices: induced dormancy in mango trees and proper application of potassium and other farm inputs for improved productivity .

On April 24 his first truck of mangoes was dispatched to Lahore. He sold it for Rs850,000 inclusive of transportation cost. A 13-kg box of daseri variety was sold close to Rs1,000.

Mango growers, who also export the fruit, hope to find a new market in Saudi Arabia as deals are being negotiated. Last year they exported around 175 tonnes of mangoes and this season they are aiming at 350 tonnes.

Mahmood Nawaz Shah, a grower-cum-exporter, says the market price of sindhri would be slightly higher this season due to a drop in its production.

The orchard owners have now realised that they must manage farms themselves to improve production by employing more intensive management practices rather than giving them to contractors. “Many feel comfortable in getting a fixed amount for their mango crop without spending much on their orchard’s upkeep,” he notes.

Sindhri’s harvesting, usually begins after May 20, will be in full swing in June coinciding with Ramazan.

Abdul Waheed foresees mango exports reaching 0.1m tonnes against last year’s 72,000 tonnes with sindhri contributing 30pc to total exports. He expects per tonne price of mango to go up to $550-600 against last year’s $450 to earn $75m.

Published in Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, May 23rd, 2016

Follow Dawn Business on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Opinion

The fallout

The fallout

Faced with an untrustworthy trade partner in the US, the economic imperative for countries would be to pursue trade diversion.

Editorial

April heat
Updated 14 Apr, 2025

April heat

A much broader and more cohesive plan is needed to meet Pakistan’s changing requirements amidst an accelerating climate crisis.
ADB’s advice
14 Apr, 2025

ADB’s advice

WITH the Trump administration’s trade war on China and the rest of the world having led to global economic...
‘Land of the free’
14 Apr, 2025

‘Land of the free’

IN Trumpian America, even those foreigners with legal status are finding that the walls are closing in on them. As...
Caught in between
Updated 13 Apr, 2025

Caught in between

In the absence of a trade agreement, under WTO rules, Pakistan cannot reduce duty rates for the US without doing the same for other countries.
Spirit of giving
13 Apr, 2025

Spirit of giving

THE recent declaration by ulema affirming that organ donation after death is not only permissible but an act of...
Targeting dissent
13 Apr, 2025

Targeting dissent

THE recent notice sent by the FIA to former senator Farhatullah Babar is deeply troubling — and revealing....