Pakistani mangoes lose US market to India
Exporters fear that once the lucrative market is fully tapped by Indian exporters, Pakistani fruit might have difficulties finding markets. India, being the world’s largest grower of the fruit, has doubled its exports this year as compared to over 250 tons of mangoes to the United States recorded last year. Through treatment of irradiation facility, needed to get rid of an insect pest mango seed weevils and fruit fly from the fruits, mango exports from Delhi was started from 2007.
Waheed Ahmed, chairman of All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA), said Pakistani mango was unable to reach the US market only because of the mandatory treatment through an approved irradiation centre, which is a modern food preservation technology that can extend shelf-life of the food.
In the absence of irradiation centre in the country, the number of other options were also discussed among the high officials of Pakistan and the US but all remained unimplemented. However, according to Waheed, the positive development regarding mango this year, is the jump in exports of the fruit, which has reached a historic mark of 163,000 metric tons worth $55.74 million so far as compared to the total exports of 118,000 metric tons worth $38 million recorded last fiscal year.
Source: thenews.com.pk
