ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has exported a record quantity of mangoes this year, breaking last year’s record, Minister for National Food Security Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan said on Wednesday.

The export of mangoes in 2014 was around 90,505 tonnes compared to 61,520 tonnes in 2013. He said in a statement that the quality of mangoes was controlled under an action plan, thus reducing fruit fly interceptions from 236 to merely two.

“As part of the action plan, Pakistan stopped the export of mangoes for one week and ensured that no single consignment should be infected,” he said, adding that no single interception has been noticed as of yet and it is likely that Pakistan may become number one exporter of mangoes — an elevation from number four in the world.

Sikandar Bosan further claimed that Pakistan has exported around 1,045,777 tonnes fruit and vegetables other than mangoes around the globe this year.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2014