South Korea has signed off on a protocol opening its markets to mangoes from Pakistan.
Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Importers and Merchant Association co-chairman Waheed Ahmed told the Express Tribune the country had already begun exporting to Korea.
“With this land mark achievement, Pakistani mango exporters got the market access of a third highly valued and important country after United States and Japan,” he said.
He told the newspaper Korea could become the second-biggest market for fruit sent by sea after Dubai. Consignments would take around 14 days to reach Seoul, he added.
Korea already imports mangoes from Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam so it was important Pakistan marketed its mangoes, said Waheed. He believed Korea could take 10,000-15,000 tonnes of Pakistani mangoes over the next few years.
In the past three years the US, Japan, Jordan, Mauritius and Korea have all allowed imports of Pakistani mangoes.