October 5, 2001	Friday	Rajab 17, 1422

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MULTAN, Oct 4: Participants in a workshop on mango production, marketing and export have expressed satisfaction over 12 per cent increase in the fruit export this year.

Provincial agriculture minister Khursheed Zaman Qureshi was the chief guest at the workshop, organized by the directorate of agriculture economics and marketing here on Wednesday.

It was revealed that a total of 53,440 tons of mango had been exported from the country which helped earned 34 per cent more foreign exchange this year.

Most of the speakers expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of Export Promotion Bureau’s regional office in Multan regarding mango export.

Speaking on the occasion, district Nazim and Farmers Associates Pakistan chief Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the mango export target from Multan was 300 tons last year, however, only 47 tons of the fruit could be exported this year due to inefficiency of the EPB.

Meanwhile, the agriculture minister said a five-member committee had been formed to forward recommendations regarding ways and means to increase mango export. Taking stock of the problems the growers had been confronted with, he emphasized the need to review policies and planning in this regard.

The cold storage chain and infrastructure, according to him, could play a pivotal role in increasing export of fresh fruit and vegetables. He said both the private and public sectors would have to act in harmony to get the result.

He urged that instead of demanding tax amnesty, the growers should demand incentives as no government could run without taxes. He also hinted that the government might reevaluate cotton price in the light of recent fall in dollar’s parity against rupee.

Multan Civil Aviation Authority manager Khalid Lodhi informed the participants that a modern cargo shed had been completed at the Multan airport which would start functioning next year.