ISLAMABAD, JULY22: Mango orchards, which are extremely popular worldwide and are a hallmark of the fertile lands of Multan, Muzaf-fargarh, Khanewal, Rahim Yar Khan, and other cities of South Punjab, create a vibrant montage of lush greenery and golden fruit that captivates both eyes and palates. These mango orchards are spread over thousands of acres in South Punjab, with Multan at the top in terms of cultivation on 31,000 hectares of land, followed by Rahim Yar Khan, Muzaffargarh, and Khanewal, having mango cultivation areas of 26,000, 19,000, and 14,000 hectares, respectively.
Of the hundreds of varieties of mango that exist, only about thirty are grown commercially. These include Chaunsa in addition to Langra, Dausehri, Anwar Ratol, Saroli, Tota Pari, Fajri, Neelum, Alphanso, Almas, Sanwal, Surkha, Sunera, and desi. “It is the king of all fruits. Its taste and aroma are matchless. Moreover, its unique combination with monsoon season makes it loveable and different from other fruits,” said Abu Bakar Siddique, a Multan resident. “We eat different fruits all year long, but eating mangoes is a passion.
The pleasure we take eating mangoes has no match.” An estimated 1.8 million tonnes of mangoes are produced annually in Pakistan, with 90% of those produced in South Punjab, of which only 100,000 tonnes are exported.The commodity can bring in large amounts of foreign exchange for the nation if further markets are investigated and producers are given incentives.
Director of the Multan Mango Research Station Hafiz Asif stated that authorities had given producers appropriate guidelines and carried out a thorough survey throughout the area. Mango growers, he claimed, were well aware of this and had taken immediate action to safeguard their orchards.
