Mango export from Pakistan is expected to start late due to Covid-19 Pandemic. Former Chairman of FPCCI Standing Committee on Agriculture, Ahmad Jawad has urged the government to allow Labourers from South Punjab to travel and work in mango farms to save billions of rupees worth of the yield.

He said that Pakistan annually produces roughly 1.7 million tonnes of mangoes, exported to more than 50 countries, mainly to UAE and Saudi Arabia and last year the country recorded five-year high mango exports of 115,000 tons and earned $80 million in foreign revenue.

He feared that there was very low chance of export of mangoes especially from Sindh due to Covid-19. Jawad stated that mango harvesting season usually begins from May 15 in Sindh. Most of the mango orchards owners hire skilled labour from South Punjab for harvesting, grading, processing and packing of export quality mangoes.

But due to Covid-19, there is no transport and labourers are not able to travel so mango harvesting is likely to suffer. Exports of mangoes from South Punjab begin after export from Sindh province. Sindh sets the trend for mangoes exports. When there is low export from Sindh, it also affects exports from Punjab as exporters of Karachi may not take interest in mango exports.

"Similarly there's hardly any availability of commercial flights to transport mangoes and the cargo planes and freighters that are available had their costs tripled compared to the normal rates. This will have another impact to compete in the market, based on price."

He also urged the Ministry of Commerce and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan to come forward and promote pulp industry for a long term gains from mangoes.

The average shelf life of mango pulp was about two years. And due to Covid-19, the government should extend loans on low interest rate to pulp industry and its exporters. "We may keep a balance between the lockdown and economic activities so that we can steer the country out of this natural catastrophe".