Daily Times

Three-Day ‘Family Mango Festival and Exhibition’ hosted by Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, is set to commence from Friday, (July 5, 2024), at the Pakistan Maritime Museum here in Karachi.

This event has been organized in collaboration with the Pakistan Maritime Museum, TCN Executive Forum and various institutions and farms.

The grand opening ceremony will be held in the Friday evening.

The opening ceremony will feature Commander Karach (COMKAR) from Pakistan Navy as the chief guest, along with Prof. Dr. Fateh Marri, Vice Chancellor Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, and Prof. Dr. Tehmina Mangan, Vice Chancellor of Begum Nusrat Bhutto Women University, Sukkur.

During the inauguration ceremony, Vice Chancellors from public and private sector universities, members of the TCN Executive Forum, the President of FPCCI Karachi, the Chief Executive of TDAP and other significant partners such as the DG Agriculture Research Sindh, DG Agriculture Extension, Chairman SIDA, progressive farmers and various collaborators will be honorary guests.

On the second day of the festival, the event will continue with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and an exhibition tour at 5 pm, led by the Honorable Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah.

Other notable attendees will include the Minister for Agriculture Supply & Prices Department, Government of Sindh, Sardar Muhammad Bux Mahar, the Minister for Universities and Boards Department, Muhammad Ali Malkani, and the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission, Islamabad, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed.

Additionally, the Secretary of Higher Education, the Secretary of Universities and Boards Department, Government of Sindh, the Secretary of Agriculture Supply & Prices Department, Government of Sindh, Vice Chancellors of public and private sector universities in Sindh, the DG Trade Development Authority, and the CEO of Sindh Enterprise Development Fund will also be present. Participants will visit exhibition stalls and engage in extensive networking activities.

Following a poster presentation on mangoes, a comprehensive technical session will be held, covering sustainable mango farming practices, value addition, mango packaging and transportation, and the export potential of Pakistani mangoes. The session will conclude with a dynamic Q&A segment.

A panel discussion on the potential, challenges and opportunities of mango cultivation in Sindh, Pakistan, will be moderated by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ismail Kumbhar, Director of University Advancement and Financial Assistance. Panelists will include Syed Mehmood Nawaz Shah, President of Sindh Abadgar Board, Ghulam Sarwar Panhwar, MD of MH Pahnwar Farms, Agha Zafarullah Durrani, CEO of Durrani Farms, Dr. Zulfiqar Yousfani of Yousfani Agriculture Farm Tando Allahyar, Mr. Nabi Bux Sathio from the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture and Dr. Mubeen Lodhi, Director of Advanced Studies and Research.

This festival is set to be a unique event, with a large number of families participating from various parts of the country, including Karachi. It will feature a variety of stalls related to mangoes, especially those showcasing mango by-products, experimental and demonstration stalls for mango grafting, organic products and cultural items from Sindh, particularly Thar.

The primary purpose of this festival is to promote national products, including mangoes and to attract urban investors to focus on business and export opportunities in agricultural and food products. It also aligns with the commitment of Dr. Fateh Marri, Vice Chancellor of Sindh Agriculture University, to foster connections between industry and academia.