MULTAN: A mango festival, organised by Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture Multan in collaboration with the Mango Research Institute Multan, has been inaugurated by Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Margaret Adamson and Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan.
The minister, addressing the inaugural ceremony, said Pakistan and Australia had strong ties in the field of agriculture and the government was taking strong initiatives to boost mango production and enhance exports. “We are quite successful in this regard,” he added.
Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asif Ali praised all the stakeholders and organisers for arranging a successful event.
“Mango is our prime exporting product and by improving productivity through adoption of modern pre- and post-harvest management techniques, a substantial amount of foreign exchange can be earned,” he told the audience.
The high commissioner of Australia said his country and Pakistan had strong linkages in the agriculture sector and several projects of mutual interest were at various stages of development. A new programme worth $12 million had also been launched in Pakistan, he said.