KARACHI: All Pakistan Fruits and Vegetables Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (APFVEIMA) has fixed mango export target at 175,000 tonnes for this year, eyeing to fetch $65 million.
Last season, the country earned $60 million from export of the king of fruits. According APFVEIMA spokesperson Waheed Ahmed, dispatch of mango export shipments will start from May 25.
Like the past two years, exporters will miss high value markets of Japan and the US this year. However, increase in exports to South Korea and Australia may compensate losses, he hoped.
Pakistan exports around 24,000 tonnes of mangoes to EU markets every year. Exporters are now highly concerned for maintaining quality rather than boosting quantity after ban imposed by the EU on Indian mango due to presence of fruit fly.
Waheed anticipated that overall production of mango would drop to 1.42 million tonnes this year as against expectation of 1.8 million tonnes. Punjab would produce 900,000 tonnes as compared to 1.2 million tonnes while Sindh crop size is estimated at 550,000 tonnes as compared to 645,000 tonnes last season.
