KARACHI: Mango production has fallen drastically in the Sindh province this season due to climate change, bringing less profits to the growers.
“We are currently passing through turbulent times, as mango production has dwindled. It does not even match last year’s production,” a representative of Sindh Mango Growers and Exporters Association told Media.
Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, and Tando Adam districts of Sindh are known for mango production along with the other parts of the province.
In an interview with Media, Rasool Bux Soomro, Joint Secretary of the Association, said the growers would struggle to cover their costs this season due to the drop in production, leaving little room for profit.
He pointed out around 20% fall in production and attributed climate change as the main cause, as it has adversely impacted mango orchards in Sindh.
He noted that the climate impacts on the agriculture sector, particularly the mango crop, are increasing every year. Long winters, rains and hail followed by a severe heatwave have changed the pattern of agricultural diseases.
“There is a lack of measures at the federal and provincial levels to protect the agriculture sector from the impacts of climate change, especially through research,” he said, adding that research-based solutions must be found urgently to address the issue; otherwise, mango production and export will be at risk.
Soomro emphasized that the federal and provincial agricultural research centers need to urgently support farmers in tackling the escalating impacts of climate change. He warned that these challenges will only intensify in the coming years unless farmers are equipped with research-based solutions.
“In order to continue the production and export of mango, it is necessary to plant new varieties compatible with climatic changes in Pakistan,” Soomro said.
Owing to the low mango production, he believed this season, 100,000 tons of export will earn 90 million dollars in foreign exchange.
The value-added sector, including mango processing, packaging and warehousing, is facing problems due to a significant increase in the cost of expensive electricity, gas, transportation, horticulture maintenance, agrochemicals and water management, making it difficult for the exporters to compete in the international market, Muzammil Hussain, a fruit exporter, told Media.
He said 70 percent of the total production from Pakistan was from Punjab, 29 percent from Sindh and one percent from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Mango is one of the key cash crops of Sindh. Sindh also produces bananas in huge quantity, which are distributed nationwide. Beyond meeting local demand, Sindh exports its mangoes to various countries around the world. –INP
