When Pakistani mangoes first arrived in the US on July 29, 2011, they were fêted with pomp and ceremony. Dignitaries from both countries attended an inaugural event in Chicago – the USDA-approved port of entry. And US agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack issued a statement highlighting the two countries’ mutual cooperation in making Pakistan-to-US mango exports possible.
Fruit is not usually met with such fanfare. But in the US, Pakistani mangoes represent much more than just produce. They are diplomatic tools imbued with hope for peace and prosperity.
But this historic deal looks doomed to fail, even before shipments have really taken off. Why? Because the logistical costs of exporting Pakistani mangos to the US are too high to make long-term trade viable.
As a result, only 60 tonnes of Pakistani mangoes are expected to be air-freighted to the US this season, according to one key exporter. And once the novelty wears off, this volume could drop to zero in subsequent seasons.
“Pakistani mangoes have been well received, but the cost factor is too high,” says Ahmad Jawad, CEO Pakistani mango exporter Harvest Tradings. “If we do not revisit this cost factor I think this process will deteriorate slowly and gradually.”
The full report will be published in the August/September issue of Americafruit Magazine.
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