Government officials in Pakistan have said that the country is aiming for an increase in mango exports to the Netherlands of 30-40 per cent this year, building on the success of the previous campaign.

The country's commercial counsellor in The Hague, Muhammad Ashraf, told Pakistan publication The News that exports of Pakistani mangoes to the Netherlands had registered a 36 per cent increase in 2009, and noted that the government had set a "similar growth target" this season.

To help facilitate an increase in Dutch imports of the fruit, the commercial wing of Pakistan's embassy in the Netherlands – backed by the Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) – organised an exhibition of 10 different Pakistan mango varieties at the beginning of July.

The event, which took place in Amsterdam, was inaugurated by minister for commerce Amin Fahim and was attended by a mixture of wholesalers, distributors, importers, retailers and chain stores dealing in fresh fruit and vegetables, The News reported.