Three-day mango festival kicks off in Islamabad

Islamabad:A three-day Mango Festival from July 14 to 16 is being organised under the management of the Centaurus Mall, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce Industry, and MNS Agriculture University Multan at The Centaurus Mall. The festival has a theme of ‘Building business network and community outreach,’ and it showcases stalls with different varieties of mangoes, including seedless mangoes.

Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood (Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony), Dr. Sardar Rashid Ilyas Khan (SVP Sardar group of companies), Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari (President ICCI), Major General Muhammad Ajmal Iqbal (r) Vice President Project Sardar Group and other guests graced the inauguration, and a number of foreign dignitaries, senior politicians, notables of society, and Vice Chancellor MNS Agriculture University Multan, Professor Dr. Asif Ali (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz), and Rehan Asif Hayat Tipu (CEO Green Agriculture) were also present during the inauguration.

The festival aims to provide an opportunity for capacity sharing knowledge of mango production, post-harvest management, value addition, supply/value chain improvement, and domestic/export marketing. It is attended by academia, researchers, government officials, ambassadors, high commissioners, commercial attachés, agricultural experts, mango growers, traders, exporters, input suppliers, and representatives of cultivators’ organizations from all over the country. The exhibition highlighted the importance of Pakistani mangoes and aims to increase and enhance its export. This exhibition will play an important role in enhancing the productivity of mangoes.

Pakistan is the fourth-largest producer of mangoes, accounting for 8% of global mango production. The total cultivation area for mangoes in Pakistan is 1.70 million hectares. Currently, there are multiple breeds of mangoes in Pakistan, out of which nine are registered. The famous types of mangoes, including Chaunsa, Sindhri, Anwar Ratol, and Langra, are known for their unmatched taste. The total yearly production of mangoes is approximately 1.75 million tons, while the average export quantity reached 125,000 metric tons.

During the festival, over 100 varieties of mangoes are displayed. Last year, Pakistani mangoes were exported to many new countries, including Japan, America, Morocco, South Korea, GCC, Central Asia, Far East, European Union, and the UK, which topped the list. The revenue generated from mango exports amounts to $145 million. Value-added products like dried mangoes, mango leather, and mango pulp are processed under the capacity building program.

This event will showcase a vast variety of mangoes, including ‘Sindhri’, ‘Langra’, ‘Chaunsa’, ‘Anwer Ratol’, and ‘Dussehri’. Other varieties such as ‘Neelun’, ‘Begum’, ‘Khas-ul-Khas’, ‘Sensation’, ‘Tota Pari’, ‘Gulaab-e-khas’, ‘Khatie’, ‘Dhasi’, ‘Machaon’, ‘Abazai’, ‘Ahmed Abdali’, ‘Golam’, ‘Faiz Karim’, ‘Abosi’, and ‘Patta Stto’ will also be displayed by growers from all over Pakistan.

This platform will provide a great opportunity for mango lovers to witness and purchase premium-quality mangoes under one umbrella.