Pakistan likely to face dip in mango production

MIRPURKHAS, Pakistan – Until April, farmers in Pakistan’s famed mango-producing district were expecting a bumper harvest of the succulent, yellow fruit which makes a sizeable share of the country’s exports.

However, their dreams of raking in big profits were shattered by an unusual spike in temperatures coupled with water shortages and unexpected windstorms in the months of March and April — factors that could drop the country’s mango production significantly.

Although farmers and exporters have varying estimates, they all agree that the mango production and subsequently exports are likely to be badly hit this year.

Spread over thousands of acres, hundreds of big and small mango orchards produce several varieties of mangos, mainly the ‘Sindhri’ variety, for which Mirpurkhas is world-famous.

Heavy windstorms in the first week of May caused major fruit-shedding, according to Mahmood Nawaz Shah, a local grower.

Shah said that an early summer alone would not have been an issue if it was not flanked by a massive shortage of water.

The South Asian nation is currently facing huge water shortages due to less snowfall and rains — triggering widespread protests by farmers.

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification last week listed Pakistan among 23 countries facing drought emergencies.

International environmental agencies warn that the water crisis may get worse by 2025 in Pakistan, which is among the top 10 countries badly affected by climate change.

Despite having one of the largest irrigation systems in the world, river water disputes with neighboring India and between the provinces have caused problems in the distribution and usage of water.

Declining production

Pakistan’s yearly mango exports amount to 150,000 metric tons, mainly in the Middle East, Europe, the US, Japan, Australia, and other countries. It earns around 90 million for 100 million dollars to the national kitty annually.

Northeastern Punjab, the country’s largest province and the bread basket, produces 70% of the country’s total mangoes, whereas Sindh and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces yield 29% and 1%, respectively.

Until 2018, Pakistan produced 1.9 million metric tons of mangoes annually, thus ranking sixth in the world, preceded by India, China, Thailand, Indonesia and Mexico

The country’s mango production has declined over the past four years, a phenomenon blamed on global warming.

Currently, Pakistan’s annual mango production stands between 1.7 million and 1.8 million metric tons.

“Unusually high temperatures in March and April have wreaked havoc on mango production over the past few years, causing a significant reduction in its quantity,” said Shahid Hameed Bhutta, a grower from northeastern Multan city, another big mango producing district.

Temperatures soared to 38-42 degrees Celsius in March and April in Multan, at least 6 degrees higher than usual causing massive fruit-shedding.

At this stage, when the mangoes are nearly ripe, Bhutta said a temperature of 32 and 34 degrees Celsius is ideal.

Water shortages and unavailability of diesel and electricity to run the tube wells are other reasons cited by Bhutta for a drop in mango production.

Mango will be expensive this year

Waheed Ahmad, a leading mango exporter, says there is bad news for mango lovers this year.

“The fruit will be expensive for this year as a 50% decrease in the country’s overall mango production is expected due to multiple factors, particularly the ongoing water shortages,” Akhtar Said, who is also president of Pakistan Fruits Exporters Association.

This year, he said, the association has reduced the export target from 150,000 metric tons to 125,000 metric tons due to less production, which would be no more than 900,000 metric tons.

Rising sea and air fares, Akhtar added, have further added to the exporters’ hardships.

Echoing a similar view, Bhutta fears there would be a 40% to 50% drop in mango yields this year.

Despite this, Bhutta hopes that the country would meet the export target of 150,000 metric tons if “exporters give a good rate to the growers.”

“But for Pakistanis, the fruit will be a bit costlier this year due to a low production,” he said.

Shah put the drop in mango production to 10% to 12%, saying the other estimates were on the higher end.

Rising fuel, transportation, labor, and packaging costs are also likely to raise the domestic prices of mangos.