Pakistani mangoes, often described as the “King of fruits” in South Asia, were delivered to the United Arab Emirates last week, Khaleej Times reported, making many people wonder about their rates in the Gulf country.

Wholesalers and retailers were quite satisfied with the first supply of mangoes from Pakistan; however, there is low production of this fruit in South Asia.

“The Pakistani mango season has officially begun with the Government of Pakistan allowing exports from May 20, 2024. The initial vessel that arrived on May 23 brought in around 192 containers of Sindhri variety, approximately 4,600 tonnes, which is a substantial amount,” Mustafa Altaf, the Altaf Hussain Trading Co managing director, said.

The price was regarded as higher this year due to inflation in Pakistan and changes in freight charges including surging from Rs280 to Rs320.

“Suppliers are charging slightly higher prices, Mustafa Altaf said, adding a box of Sindhri mangoes weighing 6kg is currently being sold for Dh28-30 in the wholesale market,” Altaf said.

The quantity of mangoes produced this year may be lower than in previous years. However, many mangoes are still being exported to the UAE, despite the challenges faced.

The mangoes were “affected due to climate change” in Pakistan. “Later, exporters target other markets and then supply slows down in this market,” Altaf said.

He explained that mango exports to the UAE were usually quite high in the initial two weeks of the mango season because exporters aim to send their shipments as early as possible to capitalise on the heightened demand for mangoes.

“The mangoes that have arrived from Pakistan are of high quality and will only get better in the months ahead,” Pakistan Supermarket Chain MD Gulraiz Yaseen said.

Yaseen stated that climate change has been affecting mango production for a few years, but the impact was not as severe as it was five years ago.

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