KARACHI: Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA) Research and Development Chairman Waheed Ahmed has said that almost 70 per cent of mangoes in Punjab have been damaged by the adverse climate.
Waheed, in a statement, said that the damage is causing shortage of the fruit in the local market, besides pushing up its rates. He said that the damage to Punjab crop has also risked meeting export target of 0.1 million tonnes for this season.
The PFVA R&D chairman said that the country had so far exported 41,000 tonnes of mango worth $22.55 million mainly to the United Arab Emirates, central Asian states, 28-nation European Union, Australia, the United States and Canada.
Pakistani mango is being sold at an increased price in the international market because of its better quality and high demand in Ramazan. He said exporters were selling mango at an average price of $550 per tonne as compared to $300 per tonne last year.
Despite good demand and better price in the international market, the target was difficult to be met this year due to damages to the crop, he said. Pakistani horticultural sector has become most vulnerable to global warming and other climatic changes.
