US ready to import Pak mangoes

The US has agreed to import mangoes from Pakistan, but on the condition that exporters meet the desired quality standards.

The American nod for the fruit came on Tuesday after a videoconference between the US Department of Foreign Agriculture and representatives of Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal), reported the Dawn.

A fruit exporter from Lahore said that the US could become a "big market" for Pakistani mango, if quality could be taken care of. According to him, the US consumers are getting weary of Mexican mangoes "" the main exporter "" because of its taste. "This gives an opportunity to Pakistani mango," he added.

According to the officials of Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board, which is the prime motivator of talks between the USA and Pakistan, a delegation of US Department of Agriculture (USDA) visited the country in mid-December.

The board took the delegates to various facilities in the country ensuring quality of fruit, and the visiting officials expressed satisfaction on them.

The US officials, on their part, demanded treatment of fruit fly at the pre-harvest level and fruit irradiation at post-harvest level.

"Pakistan could ensure both," said Baber Ihsan Bajwa of PHDEB, and added the USDA has certainly provided a window of opportunity, and exporters from Pakistan must grab it.

"Meeting the strict US quality standards are key and the board is ready to help provided the exporters can put up the required effort," he said.