MULTAN: A two-day mango festival was organized by Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture in collaboration with the Mango Research Institute, Multan.

The festival was jointly inaugurated by Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Margaret Adamson and Federal Minister for Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Asif Ali expressed his profound gratitude to all guests, stakeholders, provincial and federal governments and organizers for the successful mango festival event.

“Mango is our prime product. Pakistani mango is unique in its taste and aroma. Substantial foreign exchange can be earned by improving mango productivity through the adoption of modernized pre- and post-harvest management. Today’s festival has been organized to bring all stakeholders at one place for the promotion of mango supply chain,” he said.

Distinguished guests appreciated the role of MNSUAM in the development of mango value chain in particular and the agriculture sector in general.

Margaret Adamson, Sikandar Hayat Bosan and Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan accompanied by Prof Asif Ali visited the stalls of mango growers, packaging and pesticide companies and acknowledged their efforts.

Margaret Adamson said that Australia and Pakistan had strong linkages in the agriculture sector and several projects of mutual interest were in the phase of development under the umbrella of ACIAR.

She said a new programme (AVCCR) worth $12 million had also been granted to the Pakistan government.

Agricultural Research Punjab director-general Dr Abid Mahmood emphasised the need to extend mango export to new markets and collaborative work between Pakistan and Australia.

Mr Bosan said that Pakistan and Australia had strong ties in the field of agriculture.

He said the government was taking strong initiatives to boost mango production and enhance its exports.

MNA Muhammad Khan Daha, MPAs Chaudhry Fazalur Rehman and Rana Mehmoodul Hassan, MNSUAM Syndicate member Mumtaz Khan Manais, Mango Research Institute director Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Alvi, Cotton Research Institute, Faisalabad, director Dr Sagheer Ahmad, FAES-MNSUAM dean Prof Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad Rajwana, ORIC director Dr Zulfiqar Ali and External Linkages director Prof Dr Shafqat Saeed were also present.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2016