RAHIM YAR KHAN, July 12: State Minister for Trade and Commerce and Export Promotion Bureau chairman Tariq Ikram inaugurated a three-day district mango show here on Saturday.

Talking to newsmen, the minister said that Pakistan was already among the top five mango exporters in the world and would soon become the number one exporter with improved marketing policies.

He said frantic efforts were being made to achieve an even more enviable position in the world market. He claimed that Pakistan was already ahead of India in mango exports.

The minister gave out that Pakistan had signed agreements with big chain stores in the UK, UAE and other countries.

After visiting various stalls, he said it was heartening to note that the women agriculturists were also engaged in farming and marketing of fresh fruit.

Speaking on the occasion, District Nazim Syed Ahmed Mahmood said the district produced the biggest variety and the best quality mangoes in the country. The value of the mango produce during the current year was estimated at Rs1 billion, he said.

Some 53 farmers participating in the mango show have displayed about 153 varieties of mangoes. Out of them, around 22 kinds of mangoes are cultivated in Rahim Yar Khan.