ISLAMABAD, July 21: Pakistan is likely to cross the mango export target of 115,000 tons set for the current fiscal year by an additional 20,000 tons to be shipped in the next three months.

Official figures compiled by the Horticulture Development Export Board showed that Pakistan’s annual mango exports amount to around 0.1 million tons, about seven per cent of total 1.5 million tons production.

The country exported 55,000 tons of mangoes worth $16.5 million till June 30, 2007 in just 40 days of the start of the export, which constituted 50 per cent of the total export target set for the period under review.

According to the horticulture board the export target might increase by additional 20,000 tons worth $6 million this year.

The exporters said Dubai remained the top market for Pakistani mangoes by importing 27,000 tons followed by Europe, including the United Kingdom with 10,000 tons.

Pakistan exported 9,000 tons mangoes to Saudi Arabia while 7,500 tons were shipped to other Gulf countries like Oman, and Kuwait, etc. The rest 1,500 tons mangoes went to the Far Eastern countries, like Singapore and Malaysia.

According to the board a mango fair will be held in Czech Republic by end of the current month to introduce Pakistani mango and hopefully the shipment of mango to non-traditional market will start this summer.

The Czech Republic has been a big market and it would provide another destination for Pakistani fruits. Presently, the Czech market is flooded with Brazilian mangoes but it has no match with Pakistani mango in term of quality and taste.