Mango orchards hit by virus

The mango orchards of southern Punjab have been under the threat of 'quick decline virus' from the last few months due to which their production is declining day by day. Mango orchard owners in Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Muzaffargarh are suffering loss of millions of rupees as they have been badly affected by the virus.
On the other hand, due to weather changes, the production is expected to decrease by 50 percent. In some of the areas, about 70 percent of orchards have affected because of too long stay of floodwater. It is expected that mangoes would be sold at high rates in the coming season because of high export targets and decline in production.