Pakistan set to miss mango export target

Amid a 20 per cent drop in production, mango exporters have said achieving the export target of 125,000 tonnes has become a distant possibility due to the poor strategy of the Department of Plant Protection (DPP). All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA) on Thursday said the DPP on June 12 issued a new SOP [standard operating procedure] requiring hot water treatment (HWT) of mangoes mandatory from the approved plants only. “Due to this discriminatory policy and favouritism of the DPP, 90 per cent of the 35 plants have been shut down, resulting in a loss of $44 million due to the closure of HWT plants which were not issued no-objection certificates (NOCs) by the DPP. Around 2,500 labour (skilled and unskilled) employed in these plants have become jobless due to the closure of these plants while 6,000 labour working with growers have been badly affected as well.