Syed Fakhar Imam, Federal Minister for Food Security and Research, stated on Saturday that steps are being taken to boost mango cultivation and exportation in order to bolster the national economy.
Syed Fakhar Imam, speaking on the third day of the Mango Fest event, stated that mango output has been limited to 1.77 million tonnes in recent years.
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He stated that the mango export was 110,000 tonnes in 2019 and that it was raised to 140,000 tonnes in 2020 amid the Covid-19.
He stated that mango exports accounted for just approximately five to seven percent of overall production and that this figure should be raised. He added that so far this year, mango exports had totalled 67000 tonnes.
He claimed that the majority of the shipment was made to low-end markets, with Pakistan exporting 49,000 tonnes to Afghanistan, 35,000 tonnes to the UAE, and 20,000 tonnes to Iran, while just a few hundred tonnes were shipped to high-end markets such as European nations. According to him, Pakistan possesses high-quality mangoes, but the traditional marketing methods are still in use.
According to the Minister, developed nations use research to examine quality and output in every area, but we lack sufficient knowledge regarding mango production for each type.
He argued that mango cultivation had been practised in the subcontinent for many decades, but Australia and other nations had only recently begun mango production. He stated that 35 to 40 mango trees were planted per acre in the nation, whereas 200 to 800 seedlings were planted in Australia.
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According to the Federal Minister, mango is not being shipped to the 20 to 25 nations where the market for Pakistani mango is increasing.
He added that China supports Pakistan in all areas to boost output in all sectors.
He emphasised the importance of focusing more on mango production development, which would help not just farmers but also the national economy.
