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Pakistan prepares for US mango launch

Mangoes ......... I miss the good old days when I used to throw stones at mango trees to get hold of karees :devil:
 
Be prepared for costlier mango in pakistan....
 
No need to send magoes to USA ? as if our local pubic has already no shortage of food , and items of need
 
^ case of exploding mangoes ;) ..

ps: Dudhiya ( milky) Maldah is the best Mango in the Universe. i have an entire orchard back home

you havent eaten pakistani mangoes, bte i also have a fruitful tree which gives us loads of mangoes every alternate year
 
Where are the Pakistani mangos??? I've rang up many friends in different NYC neighborhoods even state wide, no has them in their grocery stores. :( the hunt and wait continues
 
Effort to help Pakistan export mangoes to U.S. stalls
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SAJJAD QAYYUM/AFP/GETTY IMAGES - A Pakistani fruit vendor sells mangos in a main fruit market in Islamabad on July 4, 2009. Pakistan is the fifth largest producer and third largest exporter of mangos in the world, producing 1,674,000 tons annually

By Nicolas Brulliard, Published: July 5

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — During a visit to Pakistan almost a year ago, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said she hoped Americans would soon enjoy eating the country’s “delicious” mangoes thanks to U.S. assistance.

Now these prospective American mango eaters increasingly look to go hungry.

The U.S. Agency for International Development has spent $3.1 million to help Pakistani mango growers get their fruits ready for export, and the U.S. government has overturned a ban on imports of Pakistani mangoes. But high transportation costs and strict regulations mean that few mangoes are likely to make the transatlantic trip this year, and the USAID project will target European markets instead.

“There is little chance of commercial exports of mangoes from Pakistan to the U.S. increasing significantly,” USAID said in a recent document. “Logistics are too costly.”

Mangoes have long been used by local politicians to woo voters and by Pakistani leaders to smooth relations with their Indian counterparts. So it’s no surprise that U.S. officials saw opportunities in the king of fruits.

Richard Holbrooke, the late special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had made a habit of eating local mangoes, which he called “the best in the world, without offending other mango producers,” in a veiled reference to Pakistan’s archrival, India, the world’s leading producer of the fruit.

The United States has done more than speak favorably of the nation’s horticultural pride. Under USAID supervision, 80 Pakistani mango farm owners received training and funding to streamline sorting, washing, packaging and storing processes so that the fruits meet global certification standards.

The growers are expected to pay half of infrastructure costs, with U.S. funds covering the rest. Farid Khakwani, who owns a mango farm near the central city of Multan, said that he invested more than $100,000 in his new processing line but that he hopes to recoup the investment with access to new markets.

“For growers of my capacity, it was a huge financial undertaking,” Khakwani said. “But I’m glad I did that.”

With the United States being the world’s largest mango importer and Pakistan being one of the top producers, the stage seemed set for a fruitful trade. The Pakistani community in the United States is an eager consumer base, evidenced by the suitcases full of mangoes carried into the country by relatives and occasionally seized by U.S. Customs.

U.S. authorities have designated only one port of entry, Chicago, for Pakistani mangoes; from there, the imported fruit must be shipped to a facility in Iowa for irradiation treatment to destroy bacteria and insects. Ahmad Jawad, a fruit exporter based in Rawalpindi, estimated that shipping and handling costs come to $22 for a case of about five pounds of mangoes. Unless they are given more options for shipping and irradiation destinations to bring down costs, U.S. importers will be reluctant to commit, he said.

“We desire to export mangoes to the U.S., but unfortunately there are many issues that have yet to be resolved,” he said.

Despite procedural hurdles, Khakwani said he still hopes to ship his mangoes to the United States in mid-July, when the fruits are of the best quality.

“It will be an honor and exciting,” he said. “And a business opportunity, too.”

Brulliard is a special correspondent.
 
The whole project has been put on ice for now. May be for next season InshaAllah!
 
yara what do say if give these mangoes as gift to top officials of pentagon,white house and congressmen there will be lot of improvement in pr and influence of Pak.:p:P
 
Pakistan prepares for US mango launch

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Pakistan is poised to make its mango export debut in the US this season, a year after its first mango shipments to Europe

Pakistan is ready to export mangoes to the US this year - just 12 months after the country made its mango export debut in Europe, the Pakistani press report.

Pakistan's federal minister for food and agriculture Nazar Muhammad Gondal said all necessary procedural formalities, including logistic arrangements, have been finalised, ready for exports to the US to start in the forthcoming season.

Standard operating procedures for orchard and packhouse certification and registration of mango orchards, as well as harvesting and packing have been drawn up, he said. And the ministry of agriculture, together with the ministry of commerce and the Pakistani produce export board (PHDEC), would help local mango exporters prepare consignments in line with USDA/Aphis standards.

Mr Gondal said Pakistan's total mango exports are expected to reach US$3m by the end of next season.

Increased mango exports will directly benefit two million Pakistanis, increase revenues for business, generate employment and boost the economy, especially in southern Punjab and northern Sindh, The Express Tribune said.

Pakistan is in a position to export mangoes to the US thanks to work carried out by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), according to local press reports.

Over the last year, USAID helped Pakistani mango producers ship mangoes by sea to Europe. USAID was instrumental in introducing local farmers to GlobalGAP certification, training them in modern techniques, upgrading infrastructure and forging links with international buyers.

"Mango growers have demonstrated tremendous dedication and investment in the previous year, with the support of the ministry of food and agriculture and US government," Mr Gondal told The Express Tribune.

"Their success will encourage other farmers to attain international standards and certifications and compete in the international market."

Pakistan is the fifth largest producer and third largest exporter of mangoes in the world, according to The News International: Latest, Breaking, Pakistan, Sports & Video News.

Pakistan prepares for US mango launch - Fruitnet.com|The Global Fresh Produce Portal

damn!!could we get some here please :argh:
 
Indian mangoes are tasty dude. India produces 7 times more mangoes then Pakistan does. So more to go around :)

But Pakistani mango is best. No one want Indian mango in EU. My father used to import mangoes and even Indian shop owners wanted only Pakistani mango. Same in all EU counrties i have been.
 
I know a few people who came to Toronto from the States just to buy Pakistani mangoes.
 
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