MULTAN: The patron-in-chief and chairperson Mango Growers Cooperative Society (MGCS), Syed Zahid Hussain Gardezi has welcomed the ban on usage of wooden crates for exports of mango as a step forward for export of value-added exotic fruit from Pakistan while ensuring food safety.
In a press statement issued here, the progressive grower said that the decision, mandated with the restrictions clamped under WTO regime enforced in the developed global markets, was also in line with the demand of mango growers.
However, he added that Plant Protection & Quality Control Authority (PP&QCA),ministry of food security and research, Government of Pakistan, imposed this ban only for export of mango. "But it would provide room to stakeholders to use wooden crates for transporting mangoes to export centres in Karachi, Lahore and elsewhere in the country where these would be discarded and replaced by fibre cardboard boxes".
Zahid Hussain Gardezi said that use of wooden crates for marketing horticulture produce not only degenerates the quality of mango but also identified as permanent source of quarantine pests and insects.
He stated that the mango taken by exporters from growers orchards in wooden crates and later discarded before export would ultimately tax the growers for its cost.
He suggested that PP&QCA should clamp ban on use of wooden crates altogether even in local market to give an even handed benefit to growers and exporters alike.
Gardezi suggested that till complete ban on use of wooden crates in countries, especially the middle eastern triangle which permits export of mango in wooden crates, should continue to lessen the impact on growers.
He also suggested that the ministry of food security and research should make efforts to popularize the use of contemporary re-usable plastic crates to lessen impact of wasted wooden crate on growers. He said complete ban on wood also help prevent wastage of precious timber in the country.
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