Covid-19 pandemic to affect mango exports

HYDERABAD: Sindh Minister for Agriculture Ismail Rahu said on Tuesday that the mango exports are likely to be affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic, ARY News reported.

Due to Covid-19, there is no transport and labourers are not able to travel so mango harvesting is likely to suffer, said Sindh minister while addressing a press conference in Hyderabad.

The minister further said that attack by locusts has badly damaged crops and June, July, August month is alarming.

“We immediately need six planes for spraying to save the corps from locusts attack,” added the Sindh agriculture minister.

Earlier, exporters have urged the Ministry of Commerce to extend the final date of mango exports to June 1 from May 20 for the current year as climate change and lockdowns have affected the produce.

The mango crop usually matures by the middle of May, but it is expected to be delayed by two weeks this year and exporting pre-matured mango would not be beneficial to growers.