PAKISTANI MANGOES DESCRIBED AS "HONEY FRUIT" IN INDONESIA...

Pakistani fruit makes name in Indonesia

Staff Reporter



Islamabad—Pakistan fruit especially oranges and mangoes are in great demand in Indonesia. Despite the high level of import duty Pakistani citrus fruit can be seen on sale in all markets, says a press release received here from Jakarta. The liking for mangoes is manifold which can be ascertained from the comments offered by various Indonesian dignitaries as well as members of the diplomatic corps who received the ‘Chaunsa’ as Eid gift from the Ambassador of Pakistan to Jakarta.

Indonesian friends including Ministers, business executives and mediamen described the ‘Chaunsa’ mangoes as ‘honey fruit’.

It may be added that over 850 kgs of mangoes of ‘Chaunsa’ variety were procured by the Embassy from Pakistan in coordination with a local Pakistan-origin Indonesian businessman Malik Asif to be presented as gifts on Eid-ul-Fitr. This is the second time that Ambassador Sanaullah has arranged import of Pakistani mangoes for popularizing them among Indonesian friends.

The liking for the mango is an encouraging sign for import of Pakistani fruit to Indonesia. It is also heartening to note that the Indonesian government has shown willingness to allow zero tariff on Pakistani citrus fruit in due course. With the signing of PTA between Pakistan and Indonesia in near future, the local market is bound to receive Pakistani agri-products.

It is expected that Secretary Commerce Zafar Mehmood who is scheduled to visit Indonesia to attend the Pakistan-Indonesia Business Forum on September 15 would take up matters regarding bilateral trade with his Indonesian counterpart. Many meetings are in the pipeline, including the 8th TNC.

Meanwhile, the Embassy of Pakistan has finalized arrangements to host Pakistan-Indonesia Business Forum which will be attended by top businessmen from both countries. This is the first Business Forum being organized in last fifteen years. The main areas of economic cooperation that would be discussed during the Forum include: rice, surgical instruments, textile fabrics, palm oil, pharmaceutical and cosmetics, meat and livestock, fruit, vegetables as well as hotel and services.

Zafar Mehmood along with Ambassador Sanaullah and Director General, Ministry of Trade Indonesia, Gusmardi Bustami will address the Forum.

http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=114350

PAKISTANI MANGO EXPORT SEASON IS OVER...COUNTRY IS PLEASED WITH NEW MARKETS CONQUERED THIS YEAR...HOPE FOR MORE VOLUME TO USA NEXT SEASON...

Pakistan achieves mango export target this season

By Tanveer Sher

KARACHI: While mango export season has come to an end, Pakistani fruit exporters can take the pride of accomplishing set goals of more than 150,000 metric tonnes during the current year, boosting their morale and spirits for the coming years to set higher targets.

It may be recalled here that mango export season had taken off from May and it continued until August during which large quantity of the fruit was also dispatched to new markets for sampling and seeking new orders for next season.

The expected mango yield during the current season had been anticipated to be in the range of 1.6 to 1.8 million tonnes and out of this huge quantity, the target of 150,000 tonnes appeared inadequate as indicated by most of the exporters, who blamed on lack of marketing in foreign markets and not enough support at the government level to help raise export target to a substantially higher level.

Currently the major exporting variety of mango includes Sindhri and Chaunsa from Sindh and a different variety of Chaunsa from Punjab, which has a huge fan following in international markets.

Major mango importing countries include Afghanistan, Iran and all Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, UAE besides European countries Sweden, Denmark, U.K. France and some of the Far Eastern countries, including Singapore and Malaysia. 

All Pakistan Vegetable and Fruit Exporting Association Chairman Abdul Wahid informed the scribe that despite export of large quantity of illegal export of mango to Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asian States through open truck, achievement of the current goal deserves appreciation. 

He said recent approval of installation of Vapour Treatment Plant in Pakistan following approval by the Export Development Fund (EDF) would go a long way in enhancing demand of Pakistani fruit specially mango.
The plant would not only eliminate the menace of fruit fly from Sindhri and Chaunsa but also improve quality of the fruit, raising its demand in new markets across the globe.

Besides Japan, which has agreed to import Pakistani mango, had also made it mandatory for processing the fruit through VHT before the commencement of export process.

Wahid said Japan is regarded as lucrative and rewarding market for exporters and they are anticipating massive orders from next year onwards after the installation of VHT equipment in Pakistan.

Earlier Pakistani mangoes, famous world over for their sweetness and taste, were unable to penetrate Japanese market owing to strict International standard followed globally especially sanitary practices to prolong shelf life of the fruit.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C09%5C04%5Cstory_4-9-2011_pg5_5

USAID DIRECTOR IN PAKISTAN CLAIMS FUNDING IS HELPING TURN THE TIDE IN FLOOD RAVAGED REGIONS...

Islamabad—The US emergency and recovery assistance turned tide in the flood ravaged areas of Pakistan where food, agriculture, health care and educational programmes improved life of millions of distraught Pakistanis.

In an interaction with Pakistan Observer, Dr. Andrew B. Sisson, Mission Director of USAID said relief and recovery programmers launched by USAID, directly or through NGOs and government of Pakistan have impacted positively as its feed- back is encouraging. There is gratifying and emotional response from the people of Pakistan, he said.

USAID as a partner went massively spending more than $ 1200 million in emergency and recovery operations. The operation included provision of emergency shelter to 650,000 households, helped many more to repair shelter upon return to flood-affected areas, safe drinking water to 4.3 million people, flood vouchers for 521,000, food for 223,000 families for six months through the UN World Food Programme and healthcare to 9 million people.

Referring to revival of agriculture in the affected areas, he said five million people were helped to plant crops and keep their livestock. As a result, farmers received much higher wheat production than the years before. Other crops like sunflower also increased farmers’ income which otherwise were in precarious condition. Fifty thousand families received good income from this new crop. Together with restored irrigation canals, the seeds will continue giving higher yields and better incomes for several years.

Regarding other flood recovery assistance, Dr. Andrew B. Sisson said $ 190 million were donated to the Government of Pakistan’s Citizens’ Damage Compensation Fund, which will give cash grants to 1.6 million families in the affected areas.

Twenty two flood-damaged fisheries in Malakand were restored while 4000-plus acres of mango orchards were rehabilitated.

He said water pumps were installed in villages. Citing a touching scene during such help, he said the aid team went to a village outside Muzafargarh last week to install a water pump. Tears brought to the eyes of the people on receiving much needed clean water. Thousands of villagers were helped through such projects, he said.

To another question, he said Mango farmers were assisted to secure their crops from diseases. Technology was provided to make this crop and other crops value added. Mangoes have made their way into the US market now. Referring to quality, flavour and aroma of Pakistani mangoes, he said “Pakistani mangoes are tastier than American mangoes.”

When asked to elaborate the educational projects, he said this sector has been given priority as over $760 million have been spent since 2002. There is an education emergency in Pakistan and goal of USAID is to put two million kids in school. As a result of our projects, 900,000 more children are attending schools now. The other achievements included improved teaching quality and learning environment for 1.1 million students, 9,000 low-income students got scholarships to attend university, 716 students sent to US for master’s and PhD study, 23,000 children at schools in IDP camps in FATA and KP, 10,000 school administrators and teachers trained, ninety teacher training colleges upgraded and twenty universities received science equipment and operational expenses.

On Fulbright Scholarship programme which is the largest Fulbright programme in the world, he said $ 197 million would be spent from 2005-2014 with 814 scholarships since 2005.

The Mission Director said universities which received substantially through USAID assistance included LUMS, IBA in Karachi, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi.

A substantial amount is also being used for renovation and reconstruction of schools, he said. He said Pakistani teachers and students are talented who possessed all qualities to make future of their country bright.




http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=111631

GLITCH AT USDA CUT INDIAN MANGO SEASON EARLY THIS YEAR...AS SECOND COMMERCIAL SHIPMENT FROM PAKISTAN SET TO ARRIVE THIS WEEK...CONSUMERS ARE WILLING TO PAY PREMIUM PRICES ($60-$100.00) PER CARTON FOR SUPERIOR FRUIT...

Mangoes at war in US market

Press Trust Of India
Washington, August 21, 2011



First Published: 12:15 IST(21/8/2011)
Last Updated: 12:36 IST(21/8/2011)








Three years after the Indian alphanso landed in the US to the delight of diehard mango lovers, the popular chausa variety from Pakistan has entered American markets this month, leading to cheers from the fruit's fans.

Traders involved in its import concede that this brings an
element of competition between the mango varieties from two countries, though both are facing the problem of high costs and are presently quite far away from the reach of the masses and are not readily available in Indian and Pakistani grocery stores.





Jaidev Sharma, president of Mangozz.com, one of the largest importers of the fruit from India and Pakistan, says that generally mangoes from India have an edge over those from Pakistan.

After the arrival of the first commercial shipment of about 800 boxes of Pakistani chausa early this month, a box of six "chausa" mangoes was quickly taken at an unbelievable premium price of $ 60-$ 100.

In the last few years, the Indian alphanso has been the costliest variety in the US, with a box (weighing about 3 kgs and containing nine to 12 mangoes) being sold this year at $ 40 to $ 80 in the retail market.

Mango importers from Pakistan hope that as the volume of import of chausa increases in the coming years, they would be able to give a stiff challenge to the mangoes from India.

"We hope to give a tough competition to the Indian mangoes," said a Pakistani-origin shopkeeper in the Greater Washington Area, who was one of the lucky few to sell from the first commercial consignment.

All eyes are now set on the second commercial consignment of the variety from Pakistan, scheduled to arrive at the Chicago airport – the port of entry for mangoes – on Thursday, which will be taken to the radiation facility in Illinois a day later.

The consignment is being eagerly awaited by traders here as the import of Indian mangoes this season has ended, giving a field day to chausa for carving its place among those who relish the fruit.

American importers of mango from India were left disappointed when the inspector from US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who processes mangoes at the facility near Nasik and issues certification for their export, left India in the third week of June, even before the peak of the mango season in the northern and eastern parts of the country.

Indian exporters had been apparently told by the USDA inspector that they could not export varieties of mango other than "alphanso."

This was immediately brought to the notice of APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority) in India and FDA in the US.

By the time the issue to remove restrictions was sorted, the inspector had left the Nasik facility leaving requests from American importers and Indian exporters, that other popular varieties from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal be allowed, to no avail.

Besides alphanso, importers could import the kesar and bangapalli varieties in small quantities.

"Last year we had imported Langra, Chausa and Dussehri Mangoes from India to the US.

But this year, we could not," Sharma, who is now trying to compensate by ordering the import of Pakistani chausa said.

Eagerly waiting for the arrival of the consignment from Pakistan, Sharma, who has been receiving queries from people across the country, said that there is a lot of demand for mangoes from India and Pakistan.

After year of negotiations, the US had lifted its import restrictions on Pakistani mangoes last year and the first shipment arrived this summer.

While the alphanso variety lasts for about a month in April-May, those from Pakistan are available till September end.

In between is the peak time of other variety of mangoes from India like langra, dussehari, kesar and banganpalli.

"So this gives a wide variety and time range to mango lovers in the US," Sharma said.

However, traders from both India and Pakistan face the hurdle of high prices, making it tough to beat the much cheaper mangoes from Mexico, which capture more than 95 % of the American market.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Mangoes-at-war-in-US-market/Article1-735702.aspx

PAKISTAN ADAPTS TO LIFE AFTER CLIMATE CHANGE...MANGO CROPS ARE SUFFERING...

Pakistan's mango orchards disappearing as weather shifts

18 Aug 2011 22:46

Source: Alertnet // Saleem Shaikh And Sughra Tunio


Ali Ahmed Brohi points out one of the few remaining mango trees on his farm at Mirpurkhas, Pakistan. ALERTNET/Saleem Shaikh
By Saleem Shaikh and Sughra Tunio

MIRPURKHAS, Pakistan (AlertNet) – Increasingly harsh and unpredictable weather is hurting mango production in southern Pakistan, driving farmers to cut down trees in favour of higher-earning crops like cotton, sugar cane and wheat.

But the crop switch is reducing the region’s tree cover, leading to higher carbon emissions and hotter living conditions for many farmers, as well as a loss of culture in a region where mango growing has long been a part of life.

Ali Ahmed Brohi, who six months ago cleared 300 mango trees on his 10-acre plot in Mirpurkhas, 225 kilometres northeast of Karachi, is already wondering whether he made the right decision.

The cotton, sugarcane and vegetables he now plants earn him twice what he made from the 20-year-old mango orchard, Brohi said.

But increasingly hot summer temperatures in India, worsened by the lack of the shade and cool breezes the mango orchard once offered, worry him.

“I can feel a definite change in the climate in our area,” the 40-year-old said.

According to Pakistan’s Federal Bureau of Statistics, mango is cultivated on about 167,000 hectares in Pakistan each year, and the country produces 1.7 million tonnes of the fruit annually.

FOURTH LARGEST EXPORTER

Pakistan is ranked the fourth largest mango exporting country in the world, with exports valued at $20 million annually.

But erratic weather and a worsening burden of orchard pests are making life increasingly hard for Pakistan’s mango farmers.

Mirpurkhas, Brohi’s home, is known as the city of mangoes, where nutrient-rich varieties of the yellow fruit are cultivated.

But the chopping down of decades-old mango trees is now a common sight in Mirpurkhas, as in many places across Pakistan. Farmers say that has brought higher incomes but also more scorching summer days and nights.

“Mango trees help sop up carbon emissions and their canopies naturally regulate the temperature, and particularly keep the summer nights cool,” said Ali Akbar Rahimo, Executive Director of the Pakistan Association for Water, Applied Education & Renewable Energy (AWARE).

The trees also offer a range of other benefits, including slowing rainfall runoff, helping prevent soil erosion, and muffling noise, he said.

CHANGING WEATHER

But farmers say their mango crops have dwindled over last several years because of unexpected fluctuation in temperatures.

“Weather patterns this year were significantly erratic. After a lengthy winter, the tree didn’t enjoy full bloom of spring,” contends Nadeem Shah, who owns 110 acres of mango orchards in Matiari and Mirpurkhas districts in southern Pakistan.

He said that an extended winter and then an abrupt rise in temperature in March this year obstructed process of flowering and fruit setting in his mango trees.

“Flower setting requires temperature of 25 to 32 degrees Centigrade. But, (temperatures) were unusually high in March and remained a little above 40,” he said.

Disease attacks on different parts of mango trees – in part the result of hotter and erratic weather – have added to the woes of mango farmers.

DISEASE PROBLEMS

Horticultural scientist Muhammad Rafiq, at the Sindh Horticulture Research Institute (SHRI), said that frequency of diseases attacks on mango orchards has risen over the last five years. He blames the problem on climate change.

Over the last four years or so, “the winter immediately gives way to a scorching summer and the temperature suddenly jumps from 25 to 35 degree Celsius in April and shoot up beyond 40 degree Celsius in first week of May,” he said. Previously, he said, big temperature hikes came only in May.

For proper pollination and for mango fruit to mature, a temperature of 30 to 36 degrees Celsius is idea, said Ali Lahsari, a senior researcher at the horticulture institute. Such temperatures also help growers avoid the emergence of diseases or viral attacks on the fruit and trees.

“But, this is no more a common phenomenon in mango growing areas of Pakistan, and the temperature this year too touched 41 degree Celsius. Consequently, the flowers burn crisp and the yield drops to a few mangoes,” Lahsari said.

Temperatures between 25 and 30 degree Celsius are suitable for healthy growth of mango orchards and for avoiding disease and pest attacks, agreed Muhammad Ali Khanzada a botanist at the University of Karachi and an expert on mango diseases and cures.

CULTURAL CHANGE

The widespread loss of mango orchards is expected to lead to cultural change in mango growing areas of Pakistan, particularly Sindh and Punjab provinces.

Different cultural festivals are arranged in mango areas and baskets of mangos are regularly exchanged among families, relatives and friends to sweeten relations.

“Matrimonial ceremonies are particularly arranged from May to August, which is mango harvesting season,” said Manzoor Chandio, a social scientist and historian who studied cultural history at Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad.

According to the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, an estimated five to seven percent of the total area under mango orchards is being cleared every year in Pakistan, in part because of climate change-induced problems.

But, independent mango expert and former Punjab Food Minister Syed Willayat Hussain Gardezi says the rate of loss is now beyond nine percent a year as the frequency of viral and pest attacks on orchards has gone up.

Mango exporters expected that Pakistan could lose its position as a major mango exporter within 12 to 15 years if orchards continue to be eliminated at the current rate.

Saleem Shaikh and Sughra Tunio are development reporters based in Karachi, Pakistan.


http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/pakistans-mango-orchards-disappearing-as-weather-shifts

PAKISTANI MANGOES HOPE TO ENJOY THE SUCCESS THAT INDIA HAS WITH THEIR IMPORTS TO THE USA MARKET...

Pakistan's mangoes challenge India in US

Yashwant Raj, Hindustan Times
Washington, August 18, 2011



First Published: 22:33 IST(18/8/2011)
Last Updated: 22:39 IST(18/8/2011)






Three years after India's vaunted mangoes hit US shores, Pakistan is catching up. 

The first commercial shipment of its prized chausas arrived in Chicago last weekend and is now ready for retailing, setting up yet another rivalry.

 It will be retailing at a princely $80-100 for a box of 12, a price market experts believe is determined more by the emotional pull of the fruit than anything: am proud to be a Pakistani, and am just so glad chausas are finally here.



Indian mangoes - led by Alphonsos - started arriving here in 2007 in a deal widely touted as Mangoes-for-Harley Davidsons. The number of Harleys selling in India is still quite low, as are the Alphonsos here.

The first shipment - a sort of trailer - of Pakistani chausas landed two weekends ago to a blustery welcome from the Pakistanis here, led by their embassy. The reception ceremony in Chicago was a packed affair.

Over 95% of the US mango market is dominated by Mexican varieties. 

They are sweet and fleshy but lack the "complex flavours" of Indian mangoes, according to Jaidev Sharma of www.mangozz.com, the number one mango retailer here.

Sharma has been flooded with orders for Pakistani chausas, for now. Speaking for himself, he said, "I can't wait to open the boxes of mangoes lying in the storage area." They are too green now, and he checks on them as often as he can.

Are they better than the Indian mangoes? The jury is out so far, struggling with their patriotism.

A large number of the orders placed online on Sharma's website is from Indians who can't their favourites from India as the mango season there is technically over. For them, the Pakistani chausa will serve.

It's been a long and arduous journey for these chausas before they finally landed here. Two years of "strategic talks" went into it, said Pakistani ambassador Hasnain Haqqani at the Chicago gala marking the arrival of his favourite, and of the rest of his countrymen and women, mango, chausas.

Grown in orchards in Multan, Punjab, these chausas land in Chicago under a strictly controlled trade arrangement between the governments of the two countries and are immediately sent to an Iowa facility for irradiation.

For Indian mangoes, this process happens in India itself, at a facility in Nasik, where a US inspector - but funded by Indian government - check every shipment for compliance to US standards, before it ships.

Pakistan was unable to wangle the same deal because of deteriorating relations with the US. 

No American wants to be stationed in Pakistan given the severity of travel advisories repeatedly issued by the US state department.

That was bureaucratic tangle the two countries sort, especially as relations nosedived following the discovery of Osama bin Laden hiding in plain sight in Abbottabad, a town crawling with Pakistani military past and present.

Some in the Congress demanded - a demand easily conceded by an equally exasperated White House - all aid to Pakistan be linked to its adherence to US guidelines on the war against terror in Pakistan and in Afghanistan.

Some Congress members, mostly those considered sympathetic to the Pakistani cause - a speedily dwindling number - were sent boxes from the first shipment, hastily ripened by every means possible.

That's sweet, but sweet enough?

WALL STREET JOURNAL GIVES PAKISTANI MANGOES MAJOR EXPOSURE

By SUMATHI REDDY

It's been a long journey for the king of fruits.

A year after the U.S. lifted a ban on Pakistani mangoes, the first commercial shipment of the prized Chaunsa variety landed in New York over the weekend.


VDaniella Zalcman for The Wall Street Journal

Selling for $80 to $100 for six.


They aren't cheap. Considered among their somewhat biased fans to be the world's tastiest mango, the fruits are selling for $80 to $100 for a box of six after the sole U.S. importer had to get them from Lahore to Chicago, over to Iowa for required irradiation and, finally, to New York.

Meet Abid Butt, president of Food Street Of New York Inc., a Queens-based food importer who has become Mr. Mango in the Pakistani community.

"People were scared to invest the money," said Mr. Butt. "So I decided to become the first one, I took the chance. I don't think I'll be able to cover my investment. I'm expecting a 50% loss. But it gives me satisfaction as a Pakistani-American. It can give pride to the nation and can give aid to the economy."

Mr. Butt imported 2,000 boxes of mangoes and will get weekly shipments until the mango season comes to a close in about a month. He expects the price to drop to $40 a box or so by the season's end, when the transportation logistics will have been worked out.

The mangoes were first unveiled Monday in Jackson Heights and were expected to make an appearance in the Pakistani section of Coney Island Tuesday evening.

A mango party was being planned for Saturday, to which local elected officials—including MayorMichael Bloomberg—will be invited.

"We will go to the mayor's office with a mango box and take a letter requesting him to come," said Mr. Butt.

On Monday a drummer heralded the mangoes' arrival on the streets of Jackson Heights. Kabab King, a 24-hour joint popular among taxi drivers, had already sold eights boxes by the morning. On Tuesday several boxes sat outside of Bombay Chaat, a small restaurant a few stores away from Kabab King, with curious passersby examining them. About eight boxes had been sold, mostly to Mr. Butt's friends.

Online demand has been stronger.

Mr. Butt had sold shipments to distributors in Chicago and California and joined with a New Jersey website, pksweetmangoes.com.

Jaidev Sharma, president of the Chicago-based ZZ Group, the country's largest importer of Indian mangoes, said he had 200 orders for the Pakistani mangoes but could fulfill only two-thirds of that.

Rehaan Iftikhar, a New Jersey resident, ordered mangoes through pksweetmangoes.com. He got his three boxes on Monday. Mr. Iftikhar used to time his annual trips to Toronto—which has been importing the tasty fruits for years—to mango season, not an uncommon tactic for Pakistani-Americans with friends and family in Canada.


VDaniella Zalcman for The Wall Street Journal

Bombay Chaat in Jackson Heights is one of the first places in New York to sell Pakistani mangoes, now that the ban has been lifted.


"Part of the ritual was going for the mangoes," he said. "We'd buy a crate or two and eat them there."

The taste, Mr. Iftikhar and others say, is like no other, a sweet, juicy flavor that Pakistanis can't find words to describe. "To be honest, this is the finest mango in the world," Mr. Butt said. "It's a little hard for them to digest this," he said of the Indian grocery stores in the neighborhood.

Of course, there are those who beg to differ. Indians and Pakistanis frequently lay claim to the best mangoes.

In fact, many of the mangoes grown in both countries are similar or the same varieties. But mango enthusiasts say the fruit tastes differently depending on the soil and climate.

India began exporting mangoes to the U.S. in 2007. Indian mangoes are coveted during the few months they are imported but make a tiny fraction of total imports. It is not one of the six countries that represent 98% of imports. Mexico is the largest exporter to the U.S.

Around the corner from where Mr. Butt was selling his mangoes, Nandu Patel, the manager at the Indian-owned Patel Brothers, balked when told the price. "Nobody will buy for that," he said. "I sell mangoes for $25 to $27 a box."

There was agreement in the store that Pakistan and India were home to the best mangoes. But the consensus was India's were the best.

"Best is Alphonso," said Mr. Patel. Had he ever tried a Chaunsa? "I never had it before," he admitted.

In Coney Island, Asghar Choudhri, a Pakistani-American, was appalled to hear the price. "You can get Mexican here for $10 to $12 a box," he said.

But his friend Amir Iqbal didn't care about the price, he just wanted to know where could he buy one of his beloved mangoes.

"If these are really mangoes from Pakistan, I'm willing to pay that, no problem," said the 27-year-old. "They're really good mangoes, much better than anything else here."

Write to Sumathi Reddy at sumathi.reddy@wsj.com

S B CHAUNSA MANGO HARVEST AT ASSIM AGRICULTURAL FARM PAKISTAN

PAKISTAN IS COUNTING ON CHAUNSA MANGOES TO "SWEETEN" RELATIONS...AT 22 BRIX...THEY MAY VERY WELL DO IT !!!...

Pakistan's mangoes sweeten relations with US


Can a box of mangoes cure all that ails Pakistan and the US? Pakistan hopes so. 


                                                                                                             Aamir Latif                                                                                                                                       August 13, 2011 08:23





A Pakistani fruit vendor sells mangoes in a fruit market in Islamabad on July 4, 2009. (Sajjad Qayyum/AFP/Getty Images)




ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — In the end, it just might be Pakistan’s delicious mangoes that solves all the world’s problems.


At a time when Pakistan and the United States are at serious odds over just about everything, Pakistani officials have begun an unofficial campaign to try and sweeten the bitter ties by, of all things, using the country’s famous mangoes as a peace offering.


Pakistani politicians, worried about the souring relationship between the two allies in the wake of the killing of Osama bin Laden and continuing drone strikes on Pakistani soil, are shipping boxes of “Chaunsa,” Pakistan’s prized mango, to their counterparts in the United States.

Hussein Haqqani, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, said he had sent the mangoes to U.S. congressmen and senators to help ease the tension.




 Other politicians have quickly followed suit.




Using mangoes to defray bad relations is an old tradition in Pakistan. The country’s often-competing tribes have long used the succulent fruit to diffuse arguments and to signify a fresh start.

“This unconventional diplomacy shows that Pakistan, despite differences of opinion on various issues, particularly the future of Afghanistan and the presence of C.I.A. operatives on its ground, wants friendly relations with the United States,” said Shamim-ur-Rehman, a Karachi-based political analyst.

The delivery of mangoes, the first shipment of which landed at Chicago’s O’Hare International airport in July, came after the United States lifted a decades-long ban, in place because Pakistan’s mangoes didn’t meet U.S. standards of pest control and postharvest management. With improvements made in the industry, however, the floodgates have opened.




Pakistani mangos have a kind of mythical aura about them. They are sweeter than the Indian or Indonesian mangoes that are typically available in the United States and, as anyone who has had them will say, there is no alternative.



(IMO NOTE: INDONESIA DOES NOT SHIP MANGOES TO THE USA, PERHAPS THE AUTHOR IS REFERRING TO THE PHILIPPINES?)




Mango fans in the United States for years would drive to Toronto in the hopes of buying the Chaunsa mangoes there. Some went so far as to try and smuggle them back over the border.



Other countries have recently lifted their bans on Chaunsa mangoes as well, including Japan. After 16 years, the Pakistani embassy in Japan held a mango party to celebrate the arrival of their precious, and much sought-after, fruit last year.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is also a fan and helped spearhead, with the help of USAID, the removal of the ban. In a visit last summer, Clinton lavishly praised the mangoes before announcing that the ban would eventually be lifted. A year later, the first shipment arrived.

Pakistan is the sixth largest mango producing country in the world after India, China, Thailand, Indonesia and Mexico, producing 1.9 million tons annually.

But this so-called “mango diplomacy” is far more than just a symbolic gesture, Pakistanis say. Rehman said it could have far-reaching effects and could be the beginning of a different kind of relationship between the two countries — a shift from an aid-based relationship to a trade-based one.

“This is not a symbolic gesture. This is the start of trade-not-aid relations between the two allies,” he said.

Pakistan has long voiced its desire to forge stronger trade relations with the United States and rely less on its humanitarian aid.

“It (the lifting of the mango ban) will not only strengthen trade relations between the two countries, but will also pave the way for the exportation of other commodities, such as textiles,” Rehman said.




Already fraying ties between Pakistan and the United States touched bottom after the U.S. raid on bin Laden’s hideout inside Pakistan in May. The last few months have been characterized by a series of tit for tat responses and public denunciations from high-level officials on both sides.


Pakistan deported a number of C.I.A. officers and partially retook control of a base being used by the United States to launch its drones earlier this year. The U.S. then reacted by cutting $800 million in military aid. Most recently, Pakistan said it was going to limit the ability of U.S. ambassador, Cameron Munter, and other officials to travel freely around the country. But Pakistan appears to have backed down after the United States threatened to the same thing.
“At a time when the two sides are struggling to revive their traditional diplomatic ties, this [mango diplomacy] could be a good omen,” Rehman said


http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/pakistan/110812/pakistans-mangoes-sweeten-relations-us

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HARVEST TRADINGS CEO JAWAD...CRITICAL OF PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT TRADE PROMOTION AGENCY'S BUSINESS MODEL...SUGGESTS MARKETS CLOSER TO HOME MAKE MORE SENSE...

Small shelf life hurts mango exports from Pakistan


Shahid ShahFriday, August 12, 2011






KARACHI: Pakistani mango is one of the best in taste, but fetches lowest prices in the export market because the quality of fruit deteriorates before it reaches retail counters.

“While there is a great international demand for Pakistani mango, there are complaints about quality of the fruit that reaches retail markets. That’s why price of Pakistani mango in international markets is low,” said Harvest Tradings CEO Ahmad Jawad.

Pakistan is the fourth largest mango producer after India, China and Mexico. Its average annual production of the fruit is 1.7-1.8 million tons, cultivated on an area of 166,000 hectares.

Punjab occupies a dominant position with a share of more than 70 percent followed by Sindh with 20 percent. Chaunsa is the main variety along with Sindhri, Dasehri, Langra, Anwer Ratole and Fajr.

India, China, Mexico, Thailand, Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Indonesia, Brazil and Egypt are the top ten mango producing countries of the world.

USA’s mango imports are the highest (43.2 percent) in the world. China, Hong Kong, Netherlands, UAE, France, Malaysia, UK, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Singapore are the other major importers.

Jawad said 85 percent of Pakistani mangoes are shipped to Dubai and find their way into consumer markets of Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other countries of the Middle East.

India beats Pakistan, not because of quality, but because of a stronger functioning export mechanism, rigorous international marketing and a strategic mango diplomacy undertaken by their envoys in all parts of the world.

Pakistan, on the other hand, has a unique but unsophisticated network of 6-7 intermediaries running between growers and end-users due to the presence of many unnecessary layers in the export loop.

Consequently, when the product arrives in the global market, costs reach such levels where price-conscious consumers opt for the low-cost product, which favours the rivals of Pakistani.

As a result of this mindless policy, 30-40 percent of the produce gets spoiled before reaching the end consumer, mainly due to many cooks present in the export kitchen and lack of adequate marketing facilities, he said. “We need to revamp the entire export system by eliminating unnecessary involvement of stakeholders from the race.”

Jawad said Pakistani mangoes had no rival in the global market in terms of quality, sweetness, flavour, fibres, aroma and the softness of its contents. These unique qualities of Pakistani mangoes are inherited from a fine mix of unique soil and season.

Political and social unrest in the Middle East and drastic reduction in prices by India have sidelined Pakistan.

CEO Harvest Tradings suggested the government needs to stress the United Stated of America, the biggest buyer of Asian mangoes, to relax its policies and procedures for Pakistani mango export.

“We must focus on Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore in Asia and the Netherlands, France, UK, Germany and Australia for enhancing mango exports from Pakistan.”

FIRST COMMERCIAL MANGO SHIPMENT LEAVES PAKISTAN BOUND FOR USA MARKET BY AIR CARGO

Mango export begins from Multan

Updated 1 hour ago






MULTAN: Mango export from Multan has begun as first consignment containing 2.5 ton of mango has been dispatched to the US by air.

This was disclosed by Chief Executive Lutfabad Mango Farm Maj (r) Muhammad Tariq while talking to journalists here on Wednesday.

The mango was exported to America as per international export standards. He informed that another consignment ofmangoes would be exported to Chicago America in coming weeks.

He said that mango export would surely benefits local mango growers. Maj (r) Tariq thanked agri-scientists and Pakistan horticulture authority for extending help in maintaining export standards.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=20542&title=Mango-export-begins-from-Multan

THE FABULOUS ELUSIVE "CHAUNSA" MANGO WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR...FOR COMMERCIAL SHIPMENTS TO BE SAVORED BY USA CONSUMERS...

Louisa Chu



Louisa Chu is a chef, writer, producer, and adventurer. She has cooked around the world, from Paris to Alaska. She trained at El Bulli, Ducasse, Alinea, Moto, and other restaurants. She graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris with Le Grand Diplôme for concurrent studies in cuisine and pâtisserie. She has appeared on Food Network's Iron Chef America, Travel Channel's Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, PBS's Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie, and other outlets. Her writing has appeared in Gourmet, CHOW, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, and other publications.

The elusive Pakistani mango
by Louisa Chu | Aug. 10, 2011






The legendary Pakistani Chaunsa mango, arguably the best in the world, landed for the first time in the United States at O’Hare about two weeks ago, but unless you were among the mango chosen few, you’ll have to wait until next year to taste them in Chicago.

None of the initial 2,800 pound shipment made it out to market. Many were eaten at the Inaugural Ceremony of Pakistani Mangoes at the Palmer House Grand Ballroom on July 30th. 

Some were shipped to politicians from City Hall to the White House.

I checked Madni Mart, a Pakistani grocery in Chicago. 

Owner Ali Akbar was not in the store, but his brother Muhammad Tariq, just helping out, said he hasn’t seen the Chaunsas. 

“We’re on Devon. If anybody would have had them we would’ve known about it,” said Tariq, “Everyone’s been anxiously waiting for them. They’re the best in the world - no doubt about it.”

“We might have them next year,” he said, “maybe at the end of June or July. They have a life of a month only.”

Eventually all Pakistani mangoes will land first in Chicago then go to a Sioux City, Iowa electron beam irradiation facility.

Back at the ceremony, a young guest pointed out to me that the host, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Hussain Haqqani, is actually on Twitter - and “the coolest ambassador." 

Haqqani welcomed Chicago’s Pakistani leaders - CEO’s, doctors, lawyers, engineers - with a mango-centric menu including shrimp skewers with a spicy mango salsa, mango cheesecake, mango lassi, mango kulfi, mango ice cream, and toasted with non-alcoholic mango margaritas and sparkling mango strawberry sangria.

A four-tier mango showpiece cake - draped in green, white, and mango colored fondant, with a towering vine of pastry-chef-made mangoes tumbling artistically off - could have been the wedding cake of this Pakistani-American mango marriage arranged to ease diplomatic tensions.

Previously mango fanatics planned entire vacations to Canada to eat Chaunsas, legal there.

“The most important thing for people to realize (is) that this is an unprecedented situation,” said Asad Hayauddin, Consul for Trade and Commerce at the Consulate General of Pakistan in Chicago to WBEZ’s own Odette Yousef.

Yousef also reported, “Hayauddin began working closely with US and Pakistani officials three years ago to figure out how to satisfy regulations set by the US Department of Agriculture that had long kept the fruits from reaching the US market. The USDA forbade the import of mangoes for fear that the fruit would carry pests that might harm US crops.”

“This is the first time in the history of US-Pakistan commercial or trade relations that perishable commodities are coming in,” said Hayauddin, 

“It was a massive team effort from the top political (level) down, to the diplomatic representatives, to the technical people on the ground.”

I asked Madni Mart's Tariq how he eats mangoes. “The traditional way in Pakistan. We put them in cold water until they’re chilled, then peel, cut them into slices or small cubes, and eat with a fork,” he said.

He expects the Chaunsas will sell for $30 to $40 a dozen, the going rate for Indian Alphonso mangoes, which made their big debut in 2007, also widely considered the best, not surprisingly by Indians.

“As the biggest importer of mangoes in the world (with $250 million in mango imports) America was a ripe market for the Pakistani mango, Ambassador Haqqani said to the Tribune’s Monica Eng.

While you no longer need to try to smuggle Chaunsas into this country, I did smuggle a few out of the ceremony. 

They’ve been ripening in my kitchen for over a week now - some might say over ripening. I left them out on the counter until I could smell perfume from their stem end. 

The first one I ate by simply biting into it like an apple, sucking the escaping juices, peeling back the skin with my teeth, until I reached the soft golden flesh. 

It was almost too sweet, with a texture like custard, and held a faint yet deep, musky aroma. There was no tartness or citrus notes as found in some other mangoes.

There are over 1,000 different mangoes around the world. 

Mango aficionados may argue the merits of Chaunsas versus Alphonsos and them some, but it’s like, in a way, comparing apple to oranges.

http://www.wbez.org/blog/louisa-chu/2011-08-10/elusive-pakistani-mango-90366#

THE PAKISTANI ARRIVAL OF MANGOES TO THE USA HOLD OUT HOPE FOR MORE GOOD THINGS TO COME...

Amidst strained relations, mangoes quench a thirst


Arsalan MalikSaturday, August 06, 2011






WASHINGTON: The arrival of Pakistani mangoes in the US and distribution of beautiful packets to those who matter by the Pakistan Embassy, is the culmination of a multiyear effort led by dozens of individuals in various capacities in both Pakistan and the US. The group charged with leading the effort in Pakistan is the National Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (NAPHIS), a child aged subgroup of the now dissolved Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MINFA).

NAPHIS, which was designed in 2006 to be a counterpart of the USDA’s APHIS programme, was and is still led by Malik Zahoor Ahmad as its Director General. Mr Ahmad, a former high ranking diplomat, who served two terms in Washington, found himself in familiar territory with the mango project and the larger NAPHIS initiative, as he dealt with former colleagues from his embassy days. 

In fact, several notable members at the US State Department, including the late Richard Holbrooke and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as well as key liaisons, such as Joe Caroll, the USDA representative in Islamabad, became important players in the successful outcome to which we are all witness this week.

The “Mango Mission”, as it is actually referred to in official documents, is one of the most ambitious joint projects ever undertaken in Pakistan. 

The first batches of mangos have followed a serpentine path to Chicago. 

For decades, Pakistan has been exporting fruit to nearby regional markets, mainly the United Arab Emirates, but the US market has been off limits. In less than five years, NAPHIS has launched itself, gained support from its US counterpart, and led a nationwide initiative to help farmers and agribusiness adhere to international inspection standards, the primary limitation to wider markets.

The process has involved several organizations including the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and the World Food Prize. 

Additionally, officials in Pakistan have held countless seminars and conferences with farmers and business executives, conducted repeat inspections of fruit processing facilities, and have even toured the grasslands of Iowa to better understand best practices.

The credit for the current achievement goes to many, including key officials at the USDA and APHIS, as well as former MINFA Secretary Junaid Iqbal and former Federal Minister Nazar Muhammad Gondal. 

For a civilian government that is constantly labelled by critics as non-functioning and incapable of accomplishing anything, the achievement is a particularly proud moment. But before any golden mangoes are awarded as trophies, several looming issues remain to be addressed.

First of all, even though the coveted mango-which any Pakistani will tell you is the most delicious in the world-has arrived in Chicago, due to its unavailability to the greater Pakistani-American community, it is currently still viewed as a relative stuck in customs. The major issue, it seems, is cost. 

At the moment, mango arrivals are required to be screened in a proximate fruit processing centre and thus can only be received in Chicago. Transportation costs are already exorbitant, and there isn’t an obvious solution to send mangoes to other major metropolitan areas. 

This leaves large communities of Pakistani-Americans in New York, Los Angeles and the Washington D.C. area with little satisfaction and great thirst.

Secondly, the future of the department that is draped with this success is opaque. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the parent group of NAPHIS, was recently dissolved as part of an amendment to the Pakistani constitution. It is not exactly clear what will happen to NAPHIS, how the Mango Mission will be supported in the future, or even whose reigns its operations will fall under.

In any case, it is probably fair to say that the Mango Mission is a success. 

Its timing, during a period when relations between Pakistan and the US have become unprecedentedly tense, aggrandizes hopes of optimists that the two countries can work together. At least with fruit. 

The writer is a financial analyst and independent researcher based in Washington D.C.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=61437&Cat=2

PAKISTAN HAS SITES SET ON SEA CONTAINER SHIPMENTS TO USA...

Thursday, August 04, 2011 Pak striving for mango export to USA through sea LAHORE: Pakistan is striving for mango export to the USA through sea route to enhance its share from the current 150,000 tonnes being transported through air. Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) chief executive officer (CEO) Bashir Hussain said the freight charges was Rs 300 per kilogramme (kg) while the ship fare was only Rs 25 per kg, which would help enhance the trade volume to many proportion as the US has already permitted Pakistani exporters to send the mango fruit. “In this way, we will be able to capture most of the portion of the total US mango import of 650,000 tonnes,” he added. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C08%5C04%5Cstory_4-8-2011_pg10_2

PAKISTANI MANGO PROJECT SHOWS HOW PATIENCE AND NEGOTIATION CAN ACHIEVE INROADS IN THE USA - PAKISTAN RELATIONSHIP...

EID seems to have come a month early for Pakistani-Americans. The Pakistani mango has finally made its way to the US, the result of an effort that was reportedly launched in 2006 and involved lengthy negotiations with American authorities and the development of the necessary pest-control expertise and facilities here at home.

 A small number of Pakistani growers and packers are now able to meet America`s certification requirements for fruit imports, and the first shipment of chaunsas landed last week in Chicago, where a mango-themed event was held to mark the occasion. 

And in true Pakistani style, boxes of mangoes have been sent around — in this case to the White House, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, various members of Congress and other prominent Americans.

Excitement among Pakistani-Americans aside, the development is also an example of successful collaboration between Pakistan and the US that can use diplomacy to achieve tangible results. 

Last week`s shipment was the culmination of a sustained effort by people in both countries dedicated to boosting Pakistan`s agricultural exports to the US. 

According to Pakistan`s ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani, plans to export mangoes had been included in the strategic dialogue with America for the last couple of years, and the late Richard Holbrooke and Ms Clinton were active advocates. 

Pakistani producers received USAID assistance to prepare their fruit for export to the US, and technical experts on both sides, including the agriculture ministry here at home, worked to build the required capacity in Pakistan. 

There are still challenges: restrictions on import locations and sanitation requirements on arrival mean logistics costs are high, and only the chaunsa variety is currently being exported. 

But the combined efforts of Pakistani and American officials have managed to achieve a positive result for Pakistan`s agricul- tural sector, and perhaps even for the US-Pakistan relationship.

http://www.dawn.com/2011/08/02/mango-diplomacy.html

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD THAT LEAD TO MAKING PAKISTANI MANGOES A REALITY IN THE USA...

How mango exports to US became a reality

News DeskSunday, July 31, 2011






ISLAMABAD: Pakistani mangoes made their debut in the huge US market on Saturday, but this was achieved only after a five-year struggle waged by some dedicated officials in Pakistan and some US leaders committed to provide Pakistan a better trade option.

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has so far registered 15 Global Gap Certified Orchards for export of mangoes from Pakistan with allocation of unique code identification numbers.

Similarly, eight packing houses have been approved for the export of mangoes.

Seven importers have been issued permits by the US Department of Agriculture, including the Pakistani Consulate in Chicago. The first consignment was sent on July 27.

National Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (Naphis) developed the strategy to export mangoes to the US.

Naphis initiated its activities as a project in 2006 and a meeting was held in US in 2007 among Thomas Wilsack, Secretary, Agriculture, Bruce Knight, US Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programme, and Zahoor Malik, Director General of Naphis, in which a strategy was developed for Pakistan-US Agri-knowledge initiative.

Naphis persuaded the American leadership to include agriculture in the areas of cooperation under Pak-US Strategic Dialogue. 

To facilitate mango export to US, Malik and Secretary ministry of food visited the US to sign a Framework Equivalency Work Plan (FEWP) with USDA in 2007, allowing the use of irradiation as a Phyto-sanitary measure. 

Subsequent to the signing of FWEP, the Ministry of Food issued a gazette notification in December, 2007, notifying the terms and conditions for registration of irradiation treatment facilities for Phyto-sanitary treatment of plants and animals meant for export and import.

The Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) had prepared Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) for export of mangoes to the US and an irradiation facility was set up with the co-operation of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission.

The operation of the irradiation facility required approval by US authorities prior to treatment of mangoes for US market.

In October 2008, Operating Procedures for the irradiation facility, calibration of dosi-metry and regulations for safety check of the plant were set up.

In November 2009, the USDA sent a team of technical experts headed by Dr Rizvi, Senior Plant Pathologist, USDA. 

The mission visited Pakistan to help in the preparation of pre-clearance programme for export of mango. 

It also held consultative meetings with mango producers, exporters, government officers and regulatory officials.

In 2010, a Mango Pest Risk Assessment was undertaken by the National Plant Protection Organization, a line department of Naphis, and shared with APHIS-USDA.

A visit of Pakistan’s technical experts was arranged in May 2010. 

Later Malik held a lengthy meeting with now late Richard Holbrooke, special representative of US for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and emphasised the inclusion of agriculture in Pak-US Strategic Dialogue and Afghanistan-Pakistan-US Trilateral Consultations, including mango export programme to US.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=60341&Cat=3&dt=7/31/2011