KARACHI: Pakistan’s fruit and vegetable exporters suspect the country’s mango crop may be reduced by 20 percent this year since the country continues to face the adverse climate change effects during the ongoing season.
According to official statistics, the country’s annual mango production capacity is around 1.8 million metric tons. Given the erratic weather patterns caused by the challenge of climate change, however, the overall yield is expected to be 1.44 million metric tons.
“Mango crop in Pakistan is facing the adverse effect of climate change during the current mango season, leading to a likely drop of 20 percent in production,” Waheed Ahmed, patron-in-chief of All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association said in a statement on Thursday.
Ahmed warned that due to a prolonged winter and delayed summer season, mango production was decreasing, adding that the production of the fruit was directly affected by changing weather patterns.
He urged research institutes and provincial agriculture departments to provide resources and awareness to mango farmers to help them avert the negative impact of climate change.
Ahmed said the country had set the mango export target of 125,000 metric tons this year which could help earn it about $100 million.
Pakistan will start exporting the fruit from May 20.
The country’s biggest mango buyers are in the Middle East, Central Asia along with other countries like China and the United Kingdom.
Pakistan produces 70 percent mangoes in Punjab province while 29 percent of the fruit is cultivated in Sindh. The country’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province also has a one percent production share.
Ahmed said 50 percent mangoes were exported from Pakistan by sea, 35 percent by land, and 15 percent by air.
