MANGO farmers of Sindh, who are certified under the Global GAP system, have received an encouraging response from the European supermarkets after a trial shipment of their produce to Holland.

An e-mail sent by Jeroen Knikkink of the Solfruit International to mango exporters states that “huge progress has been made and if it continues, the export can start commercially.”

The importer has, however, suggested some improvements in fruit packaging, documentation, sizing etc. The firm has rated eating quality of Sindhri mango as “extremely good”. It has also stated that Pakistani mango could be sent by sea.

This seems to be a big achievement for Sindh farmers who had sent two mango shipments of eight tons each in June. This is the preliminary assessment report they had received from the importer/consultant of the US aided mango project.

An official of the USAID firm project says that the required specifications of the importer will be ensured. The points raised by importer deal with sizing of mango as well as placement of cartons to save fruits from being damaged during transportation..

To embark on the project of trial shipment of fruit, pack houses were set up at two mango farms, owned by Junaid Hyder Shah in Tando Allahyar district and Syed Zain Shah in Benazirabad district this season where the fruit was processed as per European high end supermarkets’ requirement. The shipment reached the European market on July 6.

“We have achieved a milestone as until now our mango was ending up in community based markets. This time the Sindhri variety has made its way to Europe’s high-end supermarket. We will definitely meet the proposed requirements of the importer,” says the GAP-certified farmer Junaid Shah.

Until now, he said, mango was being exported by air but this trial shipment had proved successful and the Solfruit International had acknowledged that mango from Pakistan could be sent by sea as well. “It’s a long journey and the major achievement is that the fruit reached there safe without developing anthracnose. The importers demand of uniform grading of mango will be met,” he says.

The Global GAP (good agricultural practices) certified farmers in Sindh have adapted to modern farming practices which is a prerequisite for export of mangoes to European markets and those of other developed countries. This needs hot water treatment of the fruit. Two pack houses have been set up while two others are under progress. GAP-certified orchard owners improved their farming over the last few years before they were allowed trial shipment of mango this season.

According to project official, when the Chaunsa variety was sent through a trial shipment last year it didn’t yield the required results perhaps due to refer containers’ temperature which was kept at 12 degrees centigrade. For this shipment 13 degree centigrade temperature was maintained.

Two farm owners had to bear the expenses incurred on setting up pack houses while the needed equipment was provided under the US AID project. According to Junaid Shah he will go for upgrading the facility of hot water treatment plant.

“Currently we can only get one ton mango in one hour hot water treatment. However, we will be increasing it to at least two tons per hour,” he says.

Generally growers who export mango to Iran and Dubai market don’t get very good price in absence of modern agriculture and marketing practices. The farmers need to give up conventional practice of auctioning of orchards to contractors.

Mango orchards earn more profits, as high as Rs150,000 to Rs200,000 per acre if they adapt to modern farm management. Normally, they give their orchards at the start of the season to contractors for Rs50,000 to Rs60,000 per acre.