Pakistani exporters tap high-end Australian market

Assure local growers of fair competition.

KARACHI:

A major test for Pakistani mango exporters is over as they have successfully shipped the fruit to Australia – a high-end market that is seven times as profitable as the traditional Middle Eastern market. It is time to get ready for further tests.

The news of Pakistani mangoes reaching Australian markets has taken some Australian growers by surprise. They have expressed doubt about the quality of the fruit and also feel that Pakistani mangoes may hurt their local sales.

However, Pakistani exporters insist they will allay concerns of Australian growers and have complied with all necessary preconditions for mango export.

“We have cleared the most important step by proving the quality of our mangoes. We now want to strengthen our position in the Australian market,” Pak-Horti Chief Executive Babar Khan Durrani told The Express Tribune.

Durrani, whose company sent the first shipment to Australia, believed that fears of Australian growers would subside soon because Pakistan would not export its produce in those months when Australian fruit reaches the market.

Pakistan’s mango season runs from May to September whereas Australian season starts from September and ends in February. This is why mangoes of the two countries are not in direct competition with each other, according to Durrani.

“We have also taken Australian lawmakers into confidence, assuring them that our fruit will not hurt their local produce and we will not export beyond September,” he added.

Pakistan’s first ever mango consignment has recently been cleared by the Customs and Quarantine Department of Australia after testing it for two days in laboratories. The fruit is now available in wholesale markets of Australia.

This shipment has open doors for more companies as two other leading exporters are confident of getting necessary approvals for mango export in May 2014 – the next season.

For exporters, the Australian market is important primarily for two reasons. First, a kilogramme of mangoes fetches $7, which is seven times more than the price exporters get in different countries of the Middle East. Second, there is a strong presence of people from South Asia and the Middle East who are aware of the taste of Pakistani mangoes.

The Australian mango market, considered an extremely difficult markets for new entrants, is estimated to be about 15,000 tons, of which Pakistan is targeting to ship over 2,000 tons. The first consignment carried 4.5 tons worth $31,000.

Industry players do not agree with the contention of Australian growers that the quality of Pakistani mangoes will go down gradually once the fruit starts reaching the market in the next season.

“There is no question of sending poor quality mangoes because of stringent inspection in Pakistan that has been suggested by the Australian government,” a leading mango exporter said.

Only the leading fruit exporters will be able to meet the requirements set by the Australian government, he added.

These exporters are using Hot Water Treatment technology, which increases shelf life of fruits from just seven days to around 40 days. Owing to the use of this technology, the country won approval for export from the Australian government.

The Australian government gave the green light to the Pakistani company after three years of inspection of plant, technology and fruit quality. Pakistan has achieved a landmark and left behind other mango exporting countries, which also have plans to penetrate the Australian market.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2013.

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