KARACHI, May 9: Afghanistan has become a conduit of smuggled mangoes and other fruits from Pakistan to Iran and other Middle Eastern countries, fruit exporters allege.

Mateen Siddiqui, Chairman Fruits Vegetable Processors and Exporters Association, has questioned the credibility of official mango export figures given by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), alleging that it was far short from actual quantity of mangoes going out from Pakistan through unauthorized channels.

He told Dawn that the EPB claimed that only 47,541 tons of mangoes worth $14.03 million were exported during 2001-2002. This was in sharp contrast to exporters’ figure of 67,000 tons worth $17 million. “This nearly 20,000 tons difference is being smuggled,” he added.

Roughly, Pakistan suffers $3 million or more than Rs170 million on account of mango smuggling every year.

He said Pakistan was the fourth largest exporter of mango in the world — with market share of about 15 per cent — and this share could be enhanced to 17 per cent by improving per hectare yield of this commodity, which is very low as compared to other mango producing countries. He felt that the government should direct the agriculture research institutes to evolve high yielding varieties of mango so that its export could be enhanced.

“Mango season in Pakistan starts from May 25 and ends around October 15. This year, it is expected that mango production may cross the one million tons mark for the first time provided weather conditions remain conducive,” he said.

He said according to reports reaching here the overall crop position of mango was satisfactory except for some areas in Sindh — Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar, Tando Jam — and Rahimyar Khan in Punjab where a mango disease called powetry/anthracnose has hit some orchards, but the loss was negligible as an increase in plantation area would offset this loss.

According to official figures of Ministry of Food, a copy of which was obtained by Dawn, showed that the total acreage brought under mango plantation has recorded an increase of 13 per cent to 970,000 hectares in 2000-2001, from 854,000 hectares in 1990-91. Similarly, production also went up 27.44 per cent to 989,000 tons in 2000-2001 from 776,000 tons 1990-1991. Figures for 2001-02 and 2002-03 were not mentioned in the document.

An official of the EPB told Dawn that it is impossible to compile a detailed data of each and every crop as this requires an extensive exercise, therefore, except for some big cash crops like cotton, wheat, rice, etc., other minor fruit and vegetables figures are based on provisional data.

The official hoped that mango exports may likely to register a rise of 20 per cent as compared to last year figures.

Mateen Siddiqui said that mango exports were recording increase every year as the country was producing best varieties of this fruit, which were in high demand from various countries.

He said though no official target of mango export had been set, they were hopeful that about 75,000 tons of mango would be exported in the current season to various buyers in Far East, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Scandinavian and European countries, the United Kingdom and Middle East states.

He said the mango was of best quality and its demand in traditional markets was on rise. Last season approximately, officially and unofficially, 67,000 tons, worth $17 million at a rate of $270 per ton, were exported.

He said India, world’s largest producer of mango with 10 million tons and exports nearly 23,000 tons each year, has given Pakistani mango tough competition as it was offering mango at lower rates, other major competitors were Brazil and Mexico, he said.

According to official figures, 65 per cent mangoes come from Punjab and 35 per cent from Sindh. While most of the demand for Pakistani mango comes from the Middle East (88 per cent), and export to United Kingdom account for almost 5 per cent of its total exports.

He said the country was producing about 72 varieties of mango out of them six varieties — Anwar Ratol, Sindhri, Chaunsa, Sunhera (Golden), Began Phali and Fajri— were in great demand.