STAFF REPORT IBD: Horticulture experts from Australia are working on a project with agronomists of the Sindh government to develop disease-free varieties of mangoes with high nutritious value.

The mango management project launched in 2006 has now entered the final phase with shipment of improved varieties of the fruit to Germany, the UK and Singapore for the assessment of its price and quality in these countries.

Experts say that if the tests establish the superior quality and nutritious value of the fruit, export of mango would be approved by these and many other countries.

Giving details of the ongoing project, a local farm scientist and researcher Atta Hussain Soomro said that Australian experts worked in the fields to train farmers on how to develop healthy plant nurseries.

The total mango area in Sindh is about 60,000 acres while total production is 400,000 tons per year. The main mango growing areas are Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar and Khairpur.

The second phase of the project began in 2011 which was focused on developing a cool chain to protect fruit quality to be exported.

The project is funded by the Australian government and being executed with assistance from researchers of the Sindh Agriculture department.

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