LAHORE: The Pakistan Horticulture Development & Export Company (PHDEC) on Thursday held a training workshop on “Mango Bagging’’ in Multan aimed at promoting modern pre-harvest practices for quality enhancement in the mango sector.

The project launching ceremony was held at Dera Haji Mushtaq Ahmad Kalroo, Near Qasim Bela district Multan, where a large number of progressive mango growers, exporters, entrepreneurs, representatives from R&D institutions, and academia participated and witnessed the activity.

It highlighted that mango bagging is a technically proven pre-harvest intervention that significantly improves fruit quality, safety, and export value. The practice involves covering developing fruits with specialised bags to create a controlled micro-environment which helps reduce fruit fly infestation, minimise pesticide residues, and protect the fruit from environmental damage such as dust, sunburn, and mechanical injury. Technically, mango bagging contributes to uniform colour development, improved skin finish, enhanced size and weight, and ensures compliance with international sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards, making the fruit more suitable for premium export markets.

PHDEC CEO Athar Hussain Khokhar emphasised the importance of the initiative for the mango industry. He stated that PHDEC initiated the mango bagging pilot project three years ago and based on its successful outcomes, the technology was now ready for large-scale private sector adoption. He highlighted that the project demonstrated highly-encouraging results leading to growing confidence among growers and exporters.

He further stressed that the industry should respond to such initiatives in letter and spirit to collectively achieve the goal of quality enhancement and increased foreign exchange earnings from high-end markets.

PHDEC is promoting mango bagging across Sindh and south Punjab and many growers and exporters are adopting the practice and several private sector groups are also investing in mango bags, reinforcing the effectiveness of the technology.

According to exporters, mango bagging has resulted in significant improvements in fruit quality and profitability, with some reporting double returns compared to conventional practices. Improved appearance, better grading, and higher acceptance in international markets such as Japan, South Korea, the European Union, the United States, and China have directly enhanced competitiveness and export earnings.

Mango expert Abdul Ghaffar Grewal and Dr Asifur Rehman and Dr Javed Iqbal from Multan Mango Research Institute delivered a technical session and provided practical guidance on bagging techniques, timing, benefits, and proper handling practices, along with field-level demonstrations to facilitate effective adoption.

In the closing remarks, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture Multan Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asif Ali expressed optimism that such initiatives would encourage widespread adoption of mango bagging practices and help Pakistani mangoes secure a stronger position in high-end international markets. He further noted that improved quality would enable growers to achieve premium prices both domestically and globally.

Khawar Nadeem, Zulqarnain Zaka and Samsam Raza from PHDEC moderated the mango bagging activity and facilitated coordination among growers, exporters, and technical experts during the workshop.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2026