KARACHI: Threat of a ban on mango exports to European countries from Pakistan looms large as another consignment shipped to the UK by a Lahore-based company was found infested with fruit fly.

This is the second mango shipment intercepted by the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) during the last month.

Health and consumer protection department of the European Union Commission informed the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research on June 27 (Friday) about the infestation. The intercepted mango shipment originated from registered orchards located in District Tando Allah Yar, Sindh, and exported to the UK on June 19 by a Lahore-based company through a Plant Quarantine Office of the DPP located in the city.

The DPP informed the exporters and the ministries concerned that mango consignment bound to UK and EU countries from Pakistan shall be regulated only by Plant Quarantine Offices of the DPP at Karachi, and operation of quarantine of mango shipment from all other quarantine offices of the DPP in Pakistan has been suspended.

Moreover, mango shipment bound to Norway and Switzerland from Pakistan shall be allowed to be exported after hot water treatment at duly registered treatment plants with the DPP and only from plant quarantine offices of the DPP at Karachi.

Related: Mango consignment found infested with fruit fly

Earlier, a mango shipment exported to the UK was found infested with fruit fly when intercepted by Defra on June 17. The consignment originated from a registered orchard located in Tehsil Kotri, District Jamshoro, Sindh, and was sent by a Hyderabad-based exporter to the UK. The plant protection department received that information from the European Union Commission’s consumer protection department on June 20.

Market experts, surprised by the second case of fruit fly infestation, said that the interception showed that authorities responsible to check mango consignments had not taken sufficient safety measures.

“Three more cases of fruit fly infestation will trigger EU ban on mango exports from Pakistan,” they said.

Mango export shipments got under way to various foreign destinations from May 25 this year. Spokesperson for All Pakistan Fruit Exporter Importer and Merchant Association Waheed Ahmed said that less than 1,500 tonnes of mango had found way to European countries, a fall of 75-80 per cent compared to last year when Pakistan exported 24,000 tonnes, fetching $25m-30m.

Consumers are now paying heavy price for buying various varieties of locally produced mango as retailers have pushed up the rates by at least Rs20-50 per kg on the back of rising demand in Ramazan.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2014