Enjoy three-day festival of Pakistani mangoes in Dubai

Pakistan is eyeing an export target of 100,000 metric tonnes of mangoes this year in return for $80 million in foreign exchange.

The country's total mango production is expected at 1.2 million tonnes this year despite a sizeable production loss, primarily owing to climate change led by extreme weather condition, according to fruit exporters in Pakistan.

Pakistan has been exporting mangoes to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the US, Canada and European Union for many years. The country exported 75,000 metric tonnes last year.

Pakistani mangoes have already arrived in the UAE and are dominating the fruit shelves of supermarkets since mid-June. UAE-based traders import Pakistani mangoes worth $6 million with an approximate share of 30 per cent in the total Pakistani mango exports every year.

Capitalising the popularity of Pakistani mangoes in the UAE, Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai is planning to host a mango festival at Giardino Restaurant, Palazzo Versace Hotel from July 11-13 2019.

"Pakistani mangoes are already very popular in the UAE. Pakistan produces over 225 varieties of mangoes and among these Chaunsa, Sindhri, Dasheri and Anwar Ratol are in great demand in the UAE markets. We are planning to exhibit more varieties at the event titled "Pakistan, the Kingdom of Mangoes," Ahmed Amjad Ali, Consul-General of Pakistan in Dubai told Khaleej Times.

The three-day Pakistan mango festival will welcome diplomats, higher government officials and leading businessmen, importers and retailers. The second and third days will be opened for general public to get familiar with some of Pakistan's finest varieties of mango for the first time in the UAE.

"Now the mango season is already started. We are using this platform (the mango festival) to introduce more (mango) varieties so that next year we can increase our exports in the UAE," Ali said.

He said the UAE is already an established market for Pakistani mangoes and by introducing more varieties here would significantly boost its exports.

riaz@khaleejtimes.com