ISLAMABAD: A “Mango Gala” event organized by US Agency for International Development (USAID) was held. USAID Missional Director Jerry Bisson and Chairman, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Dr. Yusuf Zafar (T.I) Attended the event and paved the way for 13 Mango Farmers to receive Mango Graders worth more than $750,000/- which will greatly increase Pakistan Mango Production and Exports. Nepalese Ambassador Sew Lamsal Adhikari also attended the event to learn more about the Pakistani Mango Sector. He expressed his great pleasure to attend the event and said that Pakistan is the largest producer and the largest exporter of mango in the world. Its soil and climatic conditions enable production and market supplies of good quality fresh mango. Pakistani mangoes therefore enjoy a prominent position in the international market. USAID Mission Director Jerry Bission that the U.S Govt. through USAID is determined to increase access to new markets for Pakistani mango farmers, while ensuring compliance with international grading standards and export protocols and want to make Pakistani mangoes as competitive as they can be in the international market. Chairman, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Dr. Yusuf Zafar (T.I) expressed his appreciation for the generous contribution from the United Stated in supporting this sector of Pakistan’s Agriculture Industry. It is pointed out that USAID launched the U.S Pakistan Partnership for Agricultural Development in 2015 to increase Pakistan’s Commercial Agriculture and livestock sectors competitiveness in International and national markets in four product lines: Meat, High Value and off-seasons vegetables, Mangoes and citrus. This partnership acts as a catalyst for development and investment and promotes cooperation among farmers, processers, exporters and buyers of agricultural products from Pakistan. Under the project’s grant program, USAID has provided 13 state of the art, custom made, automated mango grades. These Mango graders are bring utilized for the first time to grade export quality mangoes during 2017 season. Published in Daily Times, July 25th , 2017.