King of fruits to jump to royal rates

Decline in production this season is likely to keep exports low and prices high

KARACHI:

Pakistani mangoes have been the golden boy of the fruit industry for decades, emerging as one of the country’s heftiest exports and the greatest gift to the world. This year, however, as exports decline amid a dwindling local production, the international market fears missing out on its favorite variety of the king of fruits. While on the other hand, the tropical fruit is also expected to touch record rates in the local market, where millions are waiting for it to trickle down into the bazaars.

Per emerging reports, mango production in Sindh and Punjab, the country’s primary mango-farming zones, is down by over 50 per cent this season, compared to previous seasons. Talking about mango farming in Sindh, Nabibakhsh Sathio a farmer from Tando Muhammad Khan shared that mango season here begins in June. While over 90 per cent of the province’s mangoes are grown in five districts, with Mirpur Khas topping the list. Other districts include Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Hyderabad and Khairpur Miras respectively.

According to Mahmood Nawaz Shah, who is the senior vice president of a province-wide farmer’s organisation called the Abadgar Board, the drop in production in Sindh’s key districts is primarily linked to unprecedented weather changes and water shortages that have damaged the crop. “Temperature seared in March and April this year, which wasn’t a good sign for our mango plantation to begin with. But at the same time, we also got hit with water shortages and pest infestations that really damaged the size of our production,” explained the farmer, adding that some areas of the Sindh province are still battling acute irrigation water shortages of up to 62 to 63 per cent.

Read More: Efforts under way to boost mango exports

Per Shah’s estimates, Pakistan produces over 1.8 million tonnes of mangoes every year, out of which some seven per cent of the fruit is exported to all parts of the world. “However, owing to the decline in production this season, we will have to increase the prices of our export quality fruit to cushion the farmers from loses. It is the only way that we can ensure some compensation for them,” said the Abadgar Board’s vice president.

Sheikh Imtiaz, who is a local businessman associated with the fruit sector, was keen to point out that mango exports are likely to remain lower this year. Per Imtiaz about 125,000 tonnes of mangoes were exported last year. However, he estimates that exports this season will be down to just 90,000 tonnes to 100,000 tonnes, while exports will also carry a higher expense. “Before the outbreak of Covid-19, there were freight charges of Rs300 per kilogramme for exporting mangoes, which increased to Rs600 per kilogramme after Covid-19 and the rates have not come down since,” he told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2022.