Haqqani hopes inception of mango export will bolster Pakistan-US ties

CHICAGO: As Pakistani mangoes made their way to Chicago with their unique fragrance and sweet flavor, the country's ambassador to the United States voiced the hope that export of the King of Fruits would help bolster trade and broader bilateral relations between the two nations.

Ambassador Husain Haqqani traveled to Chicago to introduce mangoes from the first Pakistani shipment that landed here Friday.

"We have successfully completed the process which involved a lot of stages....we went about methodically, identifiying the various steps to make this push for mango export to the US see light of the day," Haqqani said, referring to the two-year process that enabled export of the fruit from Pakistan to the United States.

Member National Assembly Farahnaz Ispahani, Pakistani consul generals, Pakistani-American businessmen and Americans from Chicago attended the event.

The event exhibited how the mangoes can be used in various recipies, drinks, salads , ice creams and attracted a large number of Chicagoans including Pakistani-Americans.

The Pakistani envoy said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani particularly wanted to introduce and spur commerce of the popular fruit, which can symbolize improvement and expansion in Pakistan-US relations, the ambassador noted.

Speaking metophorically, the ambassador said the problems between the two countries in the larger perspective could also be solved if "we identify the problems and then go for their solution in an organized and persistent manner."

Americans consume mangoes worth more than $ 250 million every year and the country holds immense promise for Pakistani exporters.

Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board President, welcomed the arrival of Pakisani mangoes to Chicago and said the fruit will introduce Pakistan to Americans and help promote understanding between the people of two countries.

Zaheer Pervez Khan, Pakistani Consul General in Chicago, said the Pakistanis in the city and local people are thrilled to find popular Pakistani fruit in their midst.

Meanwhile, US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, said the United States and Pakistan have worked closely to open this new market to mango growers in Pakistan and make additional choices available to US consumers.

Irradiation treatments allow USDA to facilitate the safe importation of mangoes from Pakistan while protecting US agriculture from harmful pests and diseases.

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) approved the importation of commercial shipments of fresh mangoes from Pakistan in August 2010.

According to the Department, the mangoes must be treated with specified doses of irradiation at an APHIS-certified facility to ensure that plant pests of quarantine significance do not enter the United States. Irradiation treatment may be applied prior to or upon arrival into the United States.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011