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M Atif Ismail
MULTAN, Oct 19 (APP): The recent floods have severely damaged mango orchards across the Multan region, threatening a major decline in production of internationally acclaimed fruit.
Along with disrupting daily business and agricultural activities, the floods hit mango
cultivation, a hallmark of the region’s identity.
According to official data, mango orchards in District Multan cover a total area
of 112,475 acres, of which 31,505 acres, and about 26 percent have been badly
affected.
Director Mango Research Institute Multan, Dr. Hafiz Asif-ur-Rehman, told APP that
in Khanewal, out of 47,473 acres of orchards, around 6,808 acres (9.2%) were
affected.
Similarly, in Muzaffargarh, over 24,600 acres of orchards, out of 170,128 acres
sustained serious damage.
“Overall, 22.7 percent of mango orchards across Multan, Khanewal, and Muzaffargarh
districts have been destroyed by the floods,” Dr. Hafiz Asif said.
He added that Mango Research Institute was closely monitoring the situation under
the special directions of the Punjab Government and Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar
Sahoo. Data collection to assess losses was in its final phase, after which decisions
regarding financial assistance or supply of new plants would be taken. “Affected
farmers will be compensated proportionately to their losses,” he assured.
Dr. Hafiz Asif further said that Nawaz Sharif Agricultural University and other relevant
institutions were also supporting the initiative. “Our aim is to restore production levels
in Multan, a region globally renowned for its mangoes,” he noted.
However, he cautioned that mango trees, unlike other crops, take 15 to 20 years to
fully mature. “We will soon introduce schemes for orchard rehabilitation and productivity
enhancement,” he said, recalling that Punjab once had 250,000 acres of mango orchards,
which have now expanded to 300,000–350,000 acres due to timely institutional interventions.
Responding to a question, he said flood damage was particularly severe in riverine areas,
making a production drop inevitable. “Once the final data is compiled, measures will be
taken to ensure that mango production, exports, and related targets are not compromised,”
he added.
Director Dr. Hafiz Asif said the Mango Research Institute was also formulating strategies
and training programs for farmers and orchard owners to enhance awareness and capacity,
expressing optimism that these efforts would yield positive results.