Dubai: Prices of first Pakistani mangoes of season to be high

The wait for Pakistani mangoes is over as traders and importers say the first shipments of the king of fruit have arrived in Dubai.

However, they said mango production in the South Asian country was significantly lower this year due to the heat wave, water shortages, and climate change.


Some of the most popular mango varieties of Pakistan are Chaunsa, Langra, Sindhri, Anwar Ratool, Dusehri, Saroli, Almas, Fajri, and others.

Pakistan is the world’s fifth-largest mango importer after India, China, Thailand, and Indonesia, with an average production of around 1.8 million tons. In 2021, Pakistan exported 125,000 tons of mangoes; However, production is expected to fall by 50 percent this year.

Besides UAE, the top export destinations for Pakistani mangoes are Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, the UK, the USA, Canada, EU countries, and Singapore.

“Currently, the Sindhri and Almas varieties are imported in large quantities. Dussehra and Saroli varieties are also available. Next in line are Fajri, Chaunsa, Sunehra, Anwar Ratool, etc.,” said Mustafa Altaf, General Manager of Altaf Hussain Trading Co.“It will be a challenging season this year. We have received reports from Pakistan that the harvest will fail by 30 to 50 percent due to water shortages and a heat wave. And this will definitely affect the volume and value of imports this year as well,” Altaf added.

Due to the high demand and shortage of Pakistani mangoes, importers estimate that they will be 10-15% more expensive this year than in 2021.

Waheed Ahmed, Director of Fruit and Vegetable Exporters and Importers throughout Pakistan and Traders Association, said mango production is likely to be halved this year due to unusually high temperatures; The association has therefore lowered its export target by 25,000 tons. Gulraiz Yaseen, managing director of Pakistan Supermarkets Group, said the Sindhri, Anwar Ratool, Langra and Siroli varieties are now available in the UAE.

“Anwar Ratool comes in a smaller size while Chaunsa will be available in the coming weeks.”