Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research (NFS&R), Israrullah Khan Zehri, on Thursday said that Pakistan would start exporting mangoes to Lebanon and Australia from this year.
Pakistani mangoes will get access to Lebanese markets from this year and there is likelihood that export to Australia will also start from upcoming season, he said while presiding over a meeting attended by Secretary NFS&R, Shafqat Hussain Naghmi, Director General, DPP M. Akhlaq Rana and other senior officials of the ministry.
The minister directed Department of Plant Protection (DPP) to speed up efforts for finalizing export of mangoes to Lebanon and Australia. He said that Australian experts, who are expected to visit Pakistan, must be facilitated to ensure export of mangoes to Australia from this year.
Zehri said that MoU between Pakistan and Lebanon was signed in 2011 for export of mangoes from Pakistan to Lebanon, which will be started from the coming season of 2012. The Australian experts will visit Pakistan from May 25 to inspect the hot water treatment plants and mango orchards and there are ample chances that mangoes will be exported from this year, he said.
The minister said that the proposed Phytosanitary Act 2012, which seeks amendments to Pakistan Plant Quarantine Act 1976 and Pakistan Plant Quarantine Rules 1967, should be finalized at the earliest to update the rules and procedures to cope with the different international standards and bring efficiency in the working of the department.
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