The Agribusiness Support Fund (ASF) has aided the first three Produce Marketing Organisations (PMOs) in Pakistan to gain GlobalGAP certification for their mango orchards, according to local reports.

This certification will, the ASF states, be crucial in enabling the growers to export to international retailers in Europe, the Far East and the US.

ASF has granted approximately €35,800 (Rs4m) to the three PMOs for the upgrading of their orchards and facilities, and the development of a record-keeping system to ensure traceability from the planting of the crop to the packaging and grading of the fruit.

ASF’s Ahmad Ali Shah commented that a GlobalGAP certificate would allow these organisations to ship mangoes to Europe, as well as less traditional markets such as Singapore.