Mango exporters, treatment firms reject proposed new export policy for Iran

ISLAMABAD: Key stakeholders within the mango export industry have voiced serious concerns regarding the composition and decisions of the Mango Export Committee headed by Mr. Abdul Ghaffar Grewal, Principal Scientist, Mango Research Institute, Multan, tasked with devising a policy for mango exports to Iran by Capt. Retd. Muhammad Mehmood, Secretary of Ministry of National Food Security & Research (MNFSR). Allegations of biases and connections to blacklisted companies have ignited a storm of criticism against the committee, prompting calls for immediate action from the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

In a strongly worded letter addressed to Secretary of the MNFSR, Abdul Malik, Chairman, All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA), the only representative body of horticulture exporters of the country, expressed serious concern about finding/proposals of the committee which suggest mango produced in Punjab to be treated in the same province, which the PFVA and other treatment companies consider illogical and contrary to the agreement/understanding made with mango importing country Iran.  The proposal of the committee, apparently is to deprive treatment companies and exporters of other provinces mainly Sindh and Balochistan of business opportunities besides destroying the country’s export of mango.

The association has also questioned the legal authority of the committee composition and its report to amend the agreed protocol 2005 and 2015 between Department of Plant Protection (Pakistan) and Palant Protection Organization of Iran. PFVA blasted the committee for not taking PFVA on board despite being the true representative of the fruit and vegetable trade. Through the letter PFVA questioned the authority and inability of the committee to amend the protocol 2005 and 2015 and their expertise. PFVA explored that limiting mango trade to regional level is against the basic principle of free trade where everyone has free choice to get the processing done at any processing plant in Pakistan. 

Mr. Malik further contended that the route No. 1 shown in the proposed report of the committee has excluded Rimdan (located in Gwadar), another 2nd important land terminal between Pakistan and Iran for trade, located 120 kilometers from Chahbahar port and 70 kilometers from Pakistan port of Gwadar. 40 percent mango trucks used this land terminal for trade which has not been explained in this report. PFVA also painted that last year Iran intercepted couple of mango shipment processed at Punjab and Sindh plants which were consequently banned by the Iran and DPP. Hence, processing in either province did not make any difference as far as interception of the consignment is concerned with regard to phytosanitary measures. 

PFVA also identified that if the quality of the mangoes is affected due to longer time taking in transportation from Punjab to Karachi, then why these affected mangoes be supplied to local markets in Karachi and why shall we unfair and least pushed in making common people to consume affected mangoes.

In another strongly worded letter to secretary MoFS&R, Durrani Associates, which claims to be the only mango treatment provider and export company from 2005 to 2013 and a major mango treatment provider and export company from 2014 to date to Iran, Korea, Australia, EU and other countries, based in Karachi, accused the committee including the Chairman, and Rao Asif Ali, Vice Chancellor, Mian Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture, Multan for formulating this doubtful policy as feasible to backlisted companies conniving with the banned Hot Water Treatment companies from Multan. Such affiliations, as per the company, cast doubts on the committee’s impartiality and integrity. 

Furthermore, the Karachi based company highlighted the apparent lack of familiarity with the phytosanitary measures and crucial biosecurity and phytosanitary agreements / protocols / technical procedures between PPO, Iran and DPP Pakistan by the committee’s chairman and vice-chancellor, raising questions about their competency and understanding in shaping export policies. They are basically researchers and absolutely unaware about regulatory affairs and IPPC guidelines and their job is to do R & D and develop new mango varieties according to market requirements of trading countries but unfortunately, both have no contribution to develop new mango varieties which are exportable other than century old Sindhri and Chausa mango varieties. The committee members’ alleged close relationships with discredited mango treatment companies i.e., Lutfabad hot water treatment plant, Multan, and Hyder Shah hot water treatment plant, Tando Allah Yar further fueled concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

The committee has been accused of lacking legal authority to amend bilateral agreements established in 2005 and 2015 between Pakistan and Iran. The firm warned that recommendations influenced and dictated by blacklisted companies might trigger controversies in international markets, tarnishing Pakistan’s reputation.

Durrani Associates denounced the committee research and report which bares that mangoes produced in Punjab and treated in Karachi plants have been exported through bogus phytosanitary certificates without any solid evidence. The incompetent and inexperienced committee even did not bother to think that what impact and disdain it will develop on plant quarantine system of Pakistan and what barriers and retributive biosecurity conditions it will cause for Pakistani exportable agricultural commodities from importing countries like one in the past questions the qualification of PIA pilots.

As per the letter, the biasness of the committee is distinctly evident from this datum that Department of Plant Protection (DPP) had deputed Entomologist (BS-17) and pre-shipment inspection agency approved by Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) on each plant of Pakistan including Karachi based plants to monitor and certify the phytosanitary treatment and quality of the mangoes for issuance of phytosanitary certificate that accompany that mango shipment. The DPP had also deputed senior most quarantine Director Mr. Shahid Abdullah, and Deputy Director Quarantine, Rao Muhammad Ishfaque, to counter check the operation of all plants based in Karachi and Multan. They visited Durrani Associates and other plants frequently and neither the officers of the DPP at the plant nor the countercheck committee reported any violation of standards, protocols and agreed technical procedure between Pakistan and Irani governments.

Further, no consignment disinfested at Durrani Associates whether origin from Sindh or Punjab were intercepted at Iran and cleared by Iran. If DPP had issued bogus treatment certificates and phytosanitary certificates why Iran has not intercepted such mango consignments and why Secretary, MNFSR has not taken action against Entomologists at the plants and Rao Muhammad Ishfaque and Shahid Abdullah supervising and certifying treatment and what stern action Secretary, MNFSR has taken against the blacklist companies for creating deterrence. Instead, those banned companies were made members of the committee to make policy for increase export of mangoes to Iran and a female Entomologist were terminated without any reason who were not even involved in the mango export certification and monitoring process because Shahid Abdullah and Rao Ishfaque have patronage and chumminess with Rao Asif Ali on caste basis. The committee did not suggest any action against blacklisted companies nor even discussed in the report. 

The major mango treatment company also maintained that from 2005 to 2013 when there was no mango HWT plant in Pakistan except Durrani Associates, and they alone processed and exported more than 35000 to 45000 metric tons mangoes originated in Sindh and Punjab and Iran never raised any quality and phytosanitary issue against exported shipments. The question “why the maximum exporters used to bring their mangoes shipments for disinfestation at their plants even having origin from Punjab? The answer is simple that Durrani Associates have three mango treatment plants with capacity 45 tons per hour dully sanctioned by PPO Iran and process mangoes in accordance with standards and procedure of Iran and DPP while plants in Multan and Sindh have been substantiated defective and deceptive by Iran owing to continuous mangoes interception at Iran processed them. All the plants in Multan and Sindh have 3 to 4 tons per hour treatment capacity and they altogether don’t disinfest the same quantity of mangoes as conducted by Durrani Associates and the exporters have to wait longer (more than two to three days) in Multan to prepare their shipments than to ship same mangoes consignments after treatment from our plants on the same day to Iran.  

Durrani Associates grilled the committee chairman and Rao Asif Ali that as researcher they could not give single variety with long shelve life during their whole career how ridiculous they talk about presently available mango varieties for little shelve life. Head of the company Babar Durrani added that if shelve life is affected due to transportation why mangoes are treated in Karachi for export to EU, Australia, USA, middle eastern countries where transportation time is much more than Iran. 

According to him, USA accepts import of Pakistani mangoes only at Houston airport. The shipments from Punjab to US Houston take three days to reach Houston and then US conducts Irradiation treatment on arrival which takes one more day. Are US experts not aware that this delayed treatment will affect the quality? How ridiculous it is for us to let us know that delayed treatment after harvesting affect quality. Who teaches the researchers and bureaucrats that mango quality is sanitary and phytosanitary matters and falls within authority of DPP and it is researcher who work to produce varieties with longer shelve life and producer to control quality through bagging, modern harvesting techniques, desaping and packaging. 

It is choice of the exporters to freely choose any HWT plant for disinfestation of their mango shipments and who are committee, DPP and MNFSR to formulate policies and command the exporters for diverting them to Multan plants. The formulation and implementation of this kind of policy raises eye brows and shows that it was made to support to their close associates for some vested interests and Durrani Associate will not sit idle and challenge this impugned report before all the honourable courts by names and knock at every platform to expose the members and blacklisted plants. 

Additionally, the committee faced criticism for its absence of genuine representation from key stakeholders and regulatory bodies across provinces. Durrani urged immediate intervention from Capt. Retd. Muhammad Mehmood to rectify these biases and unlawful practices surrounding the committee, emphasizing the dire need for transparency and fair representation in the decision-making process.

As per the letter, Tariq Khan, Director from DPP did not agree to the report of the committee but he is under immense pressure from his higher authorities due to closeness of Rao Asif Ali and committee members with them. Although, the last year operational mango export strategy of the DPP for export of mangoes to Iran was drafted and implemented by Muhammad Tariq Khan as Director Technical and Plant Protection Adviser and Director General since 2015. He also drafted and signed the 2015 technical agreed procedure. He also gave separate recommendations which even he could not implement when he was DG, DPP due to poor organizational and physical infrastructure of the DPP.

In a separate communication, Rishad Mateen & Co., another Karachi-based company, expressed dissatisfaction with the committee’s Punjab-centric composition and its attempts to amend agreements without broader consultation. Shazia Mateen, representing the company, highlighted discrimination in the industry and urged for a level playing field for women entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile Mr Allah Muhammad of Millat Trading Company, Quetta has also expressed his strong concerns about finding of the committee saying that he was not expecting such illogical decision of the committee. 

Apart from the mentioned letters some other Hot water Treatment companies and exporters of Sindh and Balchistan have also expressed their strong reservations over the finding of the committee asking the ministry to immediately reject such proposals. All the entities appealed to the Ministry of Food Security and all quarter concerned (PM & FIFC) for urgent action to address the alleged biases of the committee, reform its composition, and ensure fair representation of stakeholders and implement policy as per guidelines of the PPO, Iran because without observance such standard, export to Iran is not entertainable. They cautioned that failure to take corrective measures could severely impact the mango export industry and the broader economy after failure of citrus export to trading countries due to wrong policies and lack of R&D. 

The situation has sparked questions about the transparency and integrity of committees entrusted with shaping national policies. Their principle obligations are to develop new varieties according to high value market requirements rather to expose their own system before the international community. This growing controversy demands immediate attention and proactive measures to safeguard the credibility of policy-formulating bodies.