Daily Times

MIRPURKHAS: The 51st national annual mango and summer fruit festival continues at Shaheed Benazeer Bhutto Exhibition Hall in Mirpurkhas.

Around 200 varieties of mangoes and summer fruits were put on display while 11 districts of the Sindh province including Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar, Umerkot, Shaheed Benazeerabad, Khairpur, Sanghar participated in the festival.

At the mango and summer fruit festival, Mirpurkhas Divisional Commissioner Shafique Ahmed Mahesar said that the mango annual festival had become symbol of Mirpurkhas. The exporters and growers set up more than 120 stalls of mango and summer fruits to display their products in the exhibition hall, he said, adding a permanent office would be established at Mirpurkhas aiming at providing data on mango for research and other purposes.

Meanwhile, mango growers and traders urged the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) to facilitate them to enhance mango exports. They said that mango production could be increased by adopting modern technology and growers should be educated about whole process of mango sowing and harvesting and packaging in this regard.

On the occasion, Tando Jam Agriculture University Vice Chancellor Dr Mujeebul Haq Sahrai said that agriculture sector was still a major representative of national economy and the country’s economy would not increase without development of the agriculture sector.

“Our nation needs to produce not only doctors and engineers but also graduates in agriculture sector and there was a need of a close interaction between the agriculture universities and growers to develop human resources required for the agriculture sector,” he emphasised. Agriculture Director General Dr Noor Baloch appreciated the Horticulture Institute Mirpurkhas on accomplishment of research work as it had now got registered 140 varieties of mango plants.

Agriculture experts read out their research papers on various aspects of mango crop. Dr Usman Shar informed growers that mango was vulnerable to severe insect attack in February to April. He advised the growers to visit their orchards at least every week to assess losses well in time. Agriculturists, experts, growers, traders, government officials and people form different walk of life attended the festival.