Syed Zahid Hussain Gardezi, President of Mango Growers Association (MGA), has said that lack of logistic facilities has inflicted financial loses to the mango exporters during the current year.
Talking to newsmen here on Sunday Gardezi said, “During the current season, mango export target had been set at 1.5 million tonnes to be accomplished by the month of September, however like the previous year the target appears to an uphill task spurred by the logistic problems which has emerged as the single most deterrence factor towards realisation of cherished objective.”
During the last two months, hardly 73 thousand tonnes of mango has been exported so far and keeping in view the ongoing slow export progress, by the end of the September around 25,000 tonnes more of the fruit is anticipated to be exported. Thus a total of 100,000 quantity is likely to be exported which is far below compared to the set goal.
Gardezi said that he was in close touch with the fruit exporters, who informed him that non-serious attitude of foreign shipping companies towards Pakistani mangoes have pushed them on the verge of financial annihilation.
He claimed during the current month, one shipment destined for Dubai was shipped to Qatar causing irreparable damage to the exporters.
Similar attitude was demonstrated by the PIA which has turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the requests of mango exporters to take proper care of their shipments as a consequence around 30 percent decline was witnessed in the mango export through air freight.
He claimed unnecessary bureaucratic hassles and delaying tactics used by the Customs officials at Karachi Port and Anti Narcotic Force to prolong export process which was causing rusting of the export consignments destined for different destinations.
Furthermore, a number of complaints were received by Pakistani exporters from importers across the globe relating to damage to shipments with short consignments indicating reefer containers were tampered with and stealing to mango laden cartons by the Customs officials creating poor image of the country.
He claimed majority of foreign airlines have winded up their business and they are no longer operating their flight to Pakistan, consequently exporters are left at the mercy of the national flag carrier. The prevailing crisis was further exacerbated by the international trading ban on Iran, which is regarded as major importer of Pakistani mango which stands annually in the range of 30,000 tonnes.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2012
