“With USAID’s support, all the ground work has been done. We have the required standards, infrastructure, and linkages to tap the international markets on a competitive footing,” said Ghulam Sarwar Abro of Mustafa Agricultural Farms in Kotri, Sindh.
Seven mango farms from Sindh are scheduled to send commercial shipments to high-end markets across the globe in June this year. More farms will participate in commercial shipments as soon as harvesting begins in Punjab. USAID has signed Infrastructure Upgrade Agreements with 15 mango farmers across Pakistan on a cost-sharing basis to build pack houses.
USAID has also provided assistance to 15 farmers in achieving the Global GAP certification under a similar cost-sharing arrangement and has planned to increase this number by the end of this season by adding another 12 certified farms. The USAID Mango Program is currently in its third year and the program is concentrating on enhancing market linkages for Pakistan’s mango sector this year.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 25th, 2012.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ