LAHORE: Mango production has declined significantly due to climate change this year but it may not hurt country’s exports of the fruit, says FPCCI Standing Committee on Agriculture’s former chief Ahmad Jawad.

He says the country has an ample production of the fruit to meet its export target. “Even if its production drops by 40pc, we may touch 0.2m tonnes export target.”

“We may enhance mango export volumes by setting up the required infrastructure, ripening centres and controlled atmosphere stores, so that we may start sea shipments to cater to the big export volume. But, unfortunately, we don’t have these facilities and every season we have to airlift the export cargo which increases its cost as well as reduces the export volume.”

He urged the Export Development Fund to construct modern ripening centres at sea ports with latest controlled atmosphere stores on public private partnership to facilitate mango exporters.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2022