RAHIM YAR KHAN: Climate change, fluctuating weather and prolonged winter have affected mango yield in some parts of Rahim Yar Khan district.

Talha Umair Aslam, a progressive mango orchards owner, says he had been studying global warming impact on mango for the last four years.

He said in 2021 weather fluctuation was so fast that a heat wave affected mango plants when pollination started. At that time he expected a routine temperature of around 30 Celsius but it rose to 38 Celsius, shedding most of the fruiting.

In 2023, the fruit was comparatively better due to better flowering. In current season, the pollination was again affected due to below 30 temperature

Aslam said the temperature fluctuation at the pollination stage always mattered as it should be around 30 for better crop.

He said a number of mango growers harvested the fruit before its proper ripening time in greed of getting better returns. He said fruit picked early lacked taste.

He said there were many challenges facing mango growers to export fruit directly. He said the procedure of export was very lengthy. He said 70pc mangoes of Pakistan

were exported to Iran due to high demand but this year growers sold their fruit to commission agents before its ripening time and they exported it to Iran in greed of maximum rates.

Due to this practice, he said, Iranian traders withheld payments.

Another mango farm organiser and exporter Malik Abdul Waheed of Adamwali near Muslim Chowk said though the mango yield was good in his area, weather conditions had not only affected the taste of mango but also the size of the fruit.

He said low temperature in the month of April and start of May affected the quality of fruit.

About exports, Waheed said the air freight was the main factor behind poor exports.

He said the government should provide basic facilities for grading, packing and water treatment plant because RYK was the hub of mango fruit.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2024