Pakistan has yet to submit all the necessary documentation needed to allow its first-ever commercial shipments of mangoes to the US.
Government officials are still working on requirements set by the USDA before compliance agreements and export/import permits can be issued, Ahmad Jawad, ceo of exporter Harvest Tradings told Fruitnet.com.
The process can take a long time, which could delay the first ever commercial exports of the fruit to the US this season, he said.
However, Mr Jawad added he was hopeful the paperwork would be finalised in time for air-shipments to begin in mid-June.
The USDA has stipulated that only Pakistani mangoes from approved orchards can be imported, he said.
All consignments will arrive by air to Chicago airport, then irradiated by Sadex Corporation, Sioux City, Iowa, before being distributed across the US, according to Mr Jawad.
Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company representative Kashif Niazi told The Express Tribune that the documentation delay was due to new requirements demanded by the US.
He said the demands were being looked into and a speedy process was being followed to ensure timely export of mangoes.
'It will take around 60 days for the formalities to be met,' he said. 'We have sufficient time before scheduled exports.'
One industry source told Fruitnet.com that a lack of technology, and not paperwork, was the real sticking point delaying Pakistan's mango export process to the US.
Irradiating the fruit in the US made the deal too costly, the source said, adding that Pakistan needed to build its own irradiation facilities on-site to make the programme worthwhile.
Another unnamed source told The Express Tribune that his organisation, the All Pakistan Fruits and Vegetables Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association, had repeatedly requested the government invest in the expensive processing technology needed to export to high-end markets, as it is out of reach of the private sector.
'Even though the agriculture sector is exempted from taxes, we end up paying thousands of rupees in bribes to government officials,' he told the paper. 'The government departments concerned are often uncooperative and many of the potential markets have been lost due to the neglect and disinterest of the government.'
