KARACHI: Mangoes are fetching a price of $600-700 per tonne (FOB) in various foreign destinations this current season compared to $400-500 shipped last year.

Waheed Ahmed, Chairman All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers, and Merchants Association (PFVA), said so far the country fetched $48 million through 80,000 tonnes of mango exports. The current year export target of 100,000 tonnes is expected to be met in the next 42 days.

Mr Ahmed said last year, exporters’ targeted 100,000 tonnes but only 68,000 tonnes of mangoes were actually exported. Bad weather and a late winter damaged 60 per cent of Punjab’s mango crops last year.

A drastic jump in the export of mangoes to European countries has been recorded this year with 8,400 tonnes exported compared with 5,500 tonnes last year.

He said exports could rise to $700m if more focus was given to research and development. He also said coordinated efforts from institutions related to the horticulture industry were also needed.

He expected $200m worth of mango exports in next couple of years if the government maintains support and supervisions to the sector.

Mangoes are Pakistan’s second largest fruit export after kinno which fetches around $200m annually.

As per figures from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, total fruit exports stood at 679,765 tonnes ($427m) in 2015-16 as compared with 682,102 tonnes ($438m) in 2014-15.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2016