Commonly known as the “king of fruits” locally, Pakistani mangoes are a delicacy and delight that everyone is waiting anxiously for in summer season.
It has also won the hearts of people living beyond the borders due to its enticing aroma, high sweetness and fine fibre.
However, local farmers are extremely worried about the reduction in production of the succulent, yellow fruit caused by various factors.
According to an official of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Pakistan last year produced around 1.7 to 1.8 million tons of mangoes. Its yearly mango exports amount to 150,000 tons, which earns around $90 million to $100 million.
Worryingly, “the production figure may be confined to 0.9 million tons this year, or less,” according to All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association (PFVA) Patron-in-Chief Waheed Ahmed.
Farmers’ dreams of raking in big profits were shattered by an unusual spike in temperatures coupled with water shortages and unexpected windstorms in March and April.
“Severe water shortages in Sindh leave us without enough water to irrigate fruit trees. And extreme weather, such as hot hurricanes, makes it hard to guard against,” Muhammad Khoso, a mango orchard contractor from Hyderabad told China Economic Net.
“There is only 20% of mango production left in the areas with the worst reduction.” Besides, heavy windstorms in the first week of May caused major fruit shedding.
The huge blow to Pakistani mango industry caused by water shortages and abnormal temperatures brought about by global warming is obvious.
The South Asian nation is currently facing huge water shortages due to less snowfall and rains, triggering widespread protests by farmers. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification has listed Pakistan among 23 countries facing drought emergencies.
“Unusual temperatures in March and April have wreaked havoc on mango production, causing a significant reduction in its quantity,” said Shahid Hameed Bhutta, a grower from Multan, a big mango producing district.
Temperatures soared to 38-42 degrees Celsius in March and April in Multan, at least 6 degrees higher than usual, causing massive fruit shedding.
In addition to the natural factors, rising fuel, transportation, labour and packaging costs are also poised to lower production, thus boosting domestic prices of mangoes and affecting exports.
Chinese agro-science: the remedy
Global warming is the common problem that farmers in China and Pakistan need to face, not only mangoes, but all crops will face the increasingly rigorous challenge of climate change in the next few years and even decades.
“Our advanced facility will be able to systematically improve the reduction of mango production in Pakistan due to extreme weather,” said Wang Yan, General Manager of Yangling Qingpita Garden Dragon Fruit Demonstration Base in Shaanxi province.
“Located in an arid and semi-arid area, Yangling has similar distribution of water resources to that of Pakistan. Our integrated water and fertiliser control system can save about 60-70% of water and fertiliser. Also, we are more than happy to cooperate with Pakistani friends in greenhouse construction.
“Considering the high cost of comprehensive greenhouses, a simple and low-cost rain shelter can reasonably control the temperature. In case of cold wave, we can close its vents to keep the fruit trees warm. When facing extreme high temperature, it’s time to open the vents to ensure air circulation.”
Beyond climate, human factor including outdated cultivation and harvesting techniques, high cost of production, substandard cold storage facilities, transportation issues, and lack of research and development are the major hindrances to the growth of mango industry, noted Shehzad Sheikh, Chairman of the All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters.
“We are producing 2-3 tons of mangoes from an acre of land, whereas other countries are getting over 10 tons of yield with the same land.”
Regarding the abuse of fertilisers and pesticides in Pakistan, Muhammad Khoso shared his views as well.
“In fact, too much chemical fertiliser increases the chance of pests and diseases. Our farmers should reduce the use of chemical fertilisers such as DAP and increase the proportion of natural organic fertilisers.”
His views were echoed by Wang Yan, who said “organic farming methods such as fermented farmyard manure and returning straw to the field are worthy of promotion, which can also help effectively cope with the high price and shortage of local fertilisers.
“Fundamentally speaking, chemical fertilisers are very destructive to the soil. But straws, branches and fungus sticks are excellent organic matter, which can be used for soil improvement to fundamentally improve fertility.”
Cooperation as cure
Experts and government officials believe that Pakistan needs to enhance cooperation with China, the world’s second largest producer of mangoes, as it has introduced modern cultivation and pest-control methods, optimal sorting and packing technologies, improved logistics and cold chain facilities, and opened up more sales channels to enhance production and sales of the fruit.
China has already helped Pakistan in overcoming multiple issues that Pakistani farmers were facing by improving electricity supply and road infrastructure across the country under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), emphasised former federal minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam.
“In the past, severe load-shedding, especially in rural areas, had greatly affected the mango production as orchards get water supply from tube wells running on electricity. Similarly, improved road infrastructure has shortened travel time and facilitated the farmers to get their produce to other cities more conveniently.”
Local people are also waiting for new changes. “There is no other mode of transportation except air freight. But due to the epidemic and other reasons, the freight charge has soared from Rs150 per kg two years ago to Rs700 per kg now, which is very difficult for us to afford, and it has also contributed to the high prices of Pakistani mangoes in China. I am eagerly looking forward to the day when we can ship mangoes to China by truck and train freely through the CPEC infrastructure,” Jamshaid Bhatti, a mango exporter from Karachi told CEN.
From January to September 2021, Pakistan exported 37.4 tons of fresh and dried mangoes to China, which is more than 10 times the 3.6 tons in the same period in 2020.
Even so, it is still less than 0.36% of China’s total imports of 10,500 tons.
The article originally appeared on the China Economic Net
Published in The Express Tribune, June 20th, 2022.
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