Islamabad : “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the image of Pakistan, slowly but gradually, has significantly improved in the eyes of the World.” This was said by the Provincial Minister for Agriculture for Punjab, Malik Nauman Langrial while addressing a select group of people at the Mango-festival which he inaugurated in Islamabad on Wednesday.
Speaker KP Assembly Mushtaq Ghani, Minister of Communication and Works, Punjab Sardar Muhammad Asif Nakai and Federal Parliamentary Secretary Railways, Mian Farrukh Habib also attended the inauguration ceremony of the ‘mango festival.’
Punjab Agriculture Minister Malik Nauman Langrial also pointed out that the present government is giving more importance to use of technology and modern techniques, which has been successfully adopted in agriculture in other parts of the world. He said that the government is fully aware that “the agricultural sector of the country is a major contributor to our national GDP” which also provides work to an exceptionally large chunk of our workers.
In collaboration of the MNS University of Agriculture, Centaurus Mall has been organising this Festival for the past couple of years to recognize, appreciate and promote the superior quality of our mangoes. Every year mango growers, traders and entrepreneurs bring their products to the Mall where they set up their own stalls, for the mango-lovers to see, appreciate and enjoy the superior quality of our mangoes. Mango is the second largest fruit produce of the country, as citrus is regarded as the number one fruit in the country. However, around 200 varieties of the “king of the fruits,” mango, are grown in different parts of the country.
Speaker KP Assembly Mushtaq Ghani speaking on this occasion said that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, more attention is now being given to the task of export of agricultural products. Punjab Minister of Communication and Works, Sardar Muhammad Asif Nakai observed that the mango festivals are very helpful for the mango-growers and also for the traders who are attached with the mango-business as, “it offers to them an opportunity to showcase and promote their produce.” Federal Parliamentary Secretary Railways, Mian Farrukh Habib who also attended the inauguration ceremony of the “mango festival” observed that such activities greatly help in promoting business activities in the country.
Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, Chairman Punjab Board of Investment in his speech highlighted the importance of the mango-festival. He said that Pakistan is so lucky to have “some of the best mangoes in the world. If we further develop our agricultural potential, we can easily increase our export and help the country achieve goal of economic stability.” He said that without mango, summer in Pakistan is considered as incomplete. Sardar Tanveer said that Punjab is already contributing 70 percent of the total 1.7 million tons of the present production of mango in the country. He assured growers that “the Punjab Board of Investment will reach out to the International markets with the primary goal to double the mango export to these countries.”
Professor Dr. Asif Ali, the Vice Chancellor of the University informed the audience that the university is also providing a platform for research on mango, so that the per-acre yield of the fruit could be substantially increased. He also said, “The university is conducting several training programs and workshops for the mango farmers, so that they could achieve maximum harvest profitability from their present production.” The two-day ‘Mango Festival’ at Centaurus Mall will end today (Thursday).