LAHORE, Dec 15: The federal government has decided to establish an agro-processing zone at Mirpur Khas in Sindh for boosting mango exports.

Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Boards chief operating officer Muhammad Iqbal said this while speaking at a workshop organized to motivate the fruit and vegetable growers to grow pest and chemical-free fruits and vegetables for exports in accordance with the WTO requirements.

The PHDEB official said that all necessary facilities for post-harvest handling of mango crop, like quarantine, grading, packaging and storage would be available at the zone. The zone would not only help in boosting mango exports but also attract investment in value-added products.

He said the PHDEB would extend all possible assistance to the mango growers for harmonising their production practices with the GAP and EURAGAP requirement for exports to western countries.

He advised the growers to adopt techniques like drip irrigation, furrow and basin irrigation instead of flood irrigation which was instrumental in developing ailments like die back.

Sindh Agriculture Research Institute entomologist Dr Abdul Sattar Buriro said that growers should avoid the indiscriminate use of pesticides and adopt integrated pest management instead. He said the PHDEB should arrange research on die back both in mango and date palm, the two important cash crops of Sind.

Nearly 150 fruit growers and representatives of service providers participated in the workshop organized by the PHDEB in collaboration with the Small Farmers Association.