Pakistani mango grower-shippers have welcomed a recent US decision to allow their mangoes to be transported to Chicago by all international airlines, but say a Pakistani irradiation facility must be approved before shipments to the US can really take off.
Up to now, just Pakistan’s national carrier PIA had USDA approval to bring Pakistani mangoes into O’Hare International airport – the only permitted import point for the fruit in the US.
Ahmad Jawad, CEO of leading mango shipper Harvest Tradings, said broadening exporters’ air-freight options would help boost export volumes from Pakistan, but warned that a steady export deal could only be established if the fruit were irradiated at home.
In a statement, Jawad urged the USDA to establish the same policy for Pakistani mangoes as it set out for Indian product, whereby the fruit is irradiated at source.
“Currently the expensive irradiation procedure in Iowa, the only USDA-approved facility, is seriously hampering the export process,” Jawad said. “We want a level playing field in every market.
'In 2011, Pakistani growers exported only five tonnes of the country’s signature fruit to the United States. We had hoped for a higher volume this year, as the US is one of the largest imports of mangoes and we must benefit from this opportunity.”
