Pakistan Mango Growers Demand Irradiation Global News Wire  Pakistan Press International Information Services Limited August 20, 2004 DISTRICT. (MULTAN): MGA DEMANDS GOVERNMENT TO SHARE EPZ FUNCTIONING MULTAN, Aug 20 PPI: The Mango Growers Association (MGA) has demanded of the government to share in agriculture Export Processing Zone (EPZ) and not to leave it at the mercy of private sector entirely to ensure its swift completion. It also asked for provision of complete infrastructure of cold-chain, irradiation plant for mango decontamination. The MGA demanded for establishment of mango pulp industry and a most modern disease diagnostic research laboratories to meet the future challenges of qualitative production standard, which are designed by WTO regime, and Pakistan was the one of signatory. The MGA executive committee members demanded this in meeting that the federal and Punjab governments has finally approved establishment of agriculture processing zone in Multan but mango growers were not being involved in its establishment. Senior executive committee member Malik Bashir Awan chaired the meeting, demanded the government to establish mango pulp infrastructure for the promotion of fresh juice industry in the area. MGA president Syed Zahid Gardezi said that mango pulp infrastructure could be established with in Rs 35 million, which is an easy task to the government. He said mango is one of the most popular crops in the tropics, adapted to a wide range of soils and relatively easy to cultivate. They said mango was rich in beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, and is a rich source of the vitamin B complex. Their nutritive value is relatively high. One hundred grams of raw mango (edible portion) contains Water (81.7 g), food energy (66 calories), protein (0.7 g), Fat (0.4 g), Carbohydrates (16 g). Mangoes are also rich in other elements (calcium, phosphorous, iron, potash magnesium) and in vitamins, especially A and C. The MGA executive committee member Maj (retd) Syed Zahid Bukhari said that growers were facing critical problem in lack of packing and grading infrastructure of perishable items for a long time and the problem still exist causing decline in mango export. The mangoe orchards are spread over 118810 acres in more than ten Punjab Districts include Rahimyar Khan, Bahawalpur, Multan, Vehari, Muzaffargarh, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Jhang, Faisalabad, Okara and other but these areas producing mangoes in the absence of export infrastructure. (THROUGH ASIA PULSE)