LAHORE: The Customs authorities in the United Kingdom have intercepted two mango consignments of 4,490kg from Pakistan with live fruit fly larvae.

The first consignment of 1,440kg was shipped by Sakina Enterprises of Lahore, and the other, weighing 3,050kg, was sent by Roshan Enterprises of Karachi. The Department of Plant Protection has suspended the companies until finalisation of an inquiry into the cases, and the companies would not be able to export mangoes to the UK and the rest of Europe from now onwards, according to two separate notifications issued by the department.

“The two interceptions have jeopardised Pakistan’s export of mango to the UK and rest of Europe,” an official of the department told Dawn.

The first intercepted shipment was processed by Hamza Brothers Impex and packed by Warraich Brothers in Karachi under supervision of Control Union, a pre-shipment inspection agency appointed for third party inspection at the processing and packaging facilities.

The second shipment was processed and packed by the exporter itself with Baltic Control Pakistan appointed as pre-shipment inspection agency for third party inspection at the processing and packaging facilities of the exporter.

A few weeks back, another shipment, weighing 5,200kg, was intercepted with fruit fly in Holland.

Pakistan will be disallowed to ship its mangoes to the UK and the rest of Europe for two years if two more consignments are intercepted in any country on the continent, sources said.

A mango exporter blamed the department for its failure to check processing arrangements for treatment of export shipments according to European countries requirements.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play