Daily Times

The Pakistan Horticulture Development & Export Company (PHDEC) initiated the Mango Bagging program in Sindh and Punjab, offering substantial commercial benefits.

PHDEC distributed approximately 70,000 bags in Sindh while about 80,000 bags in Multan among the progressive mango growers for the season 2024. The Mango Bagging initiative, which began as a pilot in 2023 with the distribution of 150,000 bags in Sindh and Punjab, received positive feedback for enhancing fruit quality and appearance. This mango bagging technique, widely practiced by mango-producing countries, has proven highly beneficial. It enhances the fruit’s visual appeal, reduces the need for pesticides, and protects against insects and pests, including fruit flies, which are quarantine concerns. Ultimately, it improves overall fruit quality.

In addition, PHDEC organized a Mango Seminar in collaboration with the Mango Research Institute (MRI) Multan, focusing on enhancing mango quality, minimizing post-harvest losses, and promoting mango bagging Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Mangoes a major fruit crop in Pakistan’s horticulture sector, are harvested from End May to September each year. The seminar aimed to educate farmers, processors, and exporters, enhancing their understanding of best practices and technologies. Experts discussed standard harvest, post-harvest handling, processing, and packing procedures in detail during the seminar.

Despite being the world’s fifth-largest mango producer with the annual production of about 1.8MMT, Pakistan exports only 6-7% of its fresh mangoes. The bagging initiative seeks to boost exports by improving fruit quality, making Pakistani mangoes more competitive in high-end international markets.

Athar Hussain Khokhar, CEO of PHDEC, underscored the importance of the pilot project and stressed the need for collaboration with stakeholders to improve mango quality, increase market share, and enhance exports to premium markets.

Keynote speaker Abdul Ghaffar Grewal, former Director of MRI, opened the session with an in-depth presentation on managing mango orchards in the context of climate change. He highlighted the importance of protecting the mango plant’s stem from sun exposure, detailed the irrigation cycle’s role in minimizing fruit drop, and emphasized post-harvest care for next year’s yield. Grewal provided a comprehensive guide on good agricultural practices to maintain plant health, which is crucial for high-quality fruit and yield. He also shared detailed nutrition and pest management plans with the growers.