Muhammad Saleem

The mango exporters of Pakistan are finding it hard to meet the expectations of their offshore clients due to a decline in production, reports WealthPK. According to exporters and agricultural scientists, the export targets are becoming increasingly challenging to meet. Climate change is a major reason for the decline in production, and farmers seem inadequately equipped to deal with this challenge. Dr. Khalid from the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, said the efforts being made by agricultural scientists might be ineffective without practical measures from the policymakers and emphasized the importance of training farmers to combat climate change. “Equipping our farmers with modern training and the latest tools is mandatory to face climate change efficiently,” he asserted. Highlighting the seriousness of the issue, he told WealthPK that it's a matter of grave concern that mango export targets are hard to achieve this year. The entire mango production chain will face a tough situation in the days to come unless practical measures are taken to battle climate change.

He said climate change is affecting every part of the world, and Pakistan is among the countries facing its severe impact. Dr. Khalid said fungal and bacterial attacks on the mango crop had increased. Besides, the farmers are also unable to handle the post-harvest losses, as they lack modern tools and storage facilities. Mango exports started in late May this year. However, echoing Dr Khalid’s apprehensions, exporters are also troubled by the decline in production. Exporter Muhmmad Waheed told WealthPK that delayed flowering and disease attacks had significantly hit the fruit quality and reduced the overall production this year. He said international buyers have zero tolerance for low-quality fruits, adding that the mango exports must be disease-free having a particular size and shelf life. This year the export target was set at 100,000 metric tons, down from 125,000 metric tons last year. However, he claimed exporters are unlikely to meet this year’s targets due to declined production and shortage of high-quality fruit.

Without revisiting the traditional strategies, our farmers will not be able to get good yield and produce high-quality fruit, he said. “Our mangoes hold a distinguished reputation globally. To maintain this status, the government should allocate special funds to conduct research in developing disease-resistant mango varieties. Modernizing storage facilities is crucial to avoid post-harvest losses and improve the shelf life of the fruit. Only high-quality fruit can bring premium prices and earn significant foreign exchange for Pakistan,” he added. Dr Khalid said the government must facilitate strong collaboration between researchers, exporters and farmers, which will ensure a focus on high yields and best-quality fruit to meet the export standards. He said without well-defined strategies, climate-smart mango varieties, and coordinated efforts from all stakeholders, the battle against climate change could not be won.

Credit: INP-WealthPk