It is known as the mango belt, the area that stretches between Punjab and Sindh province in eastern Pakistan. The long winter and unpredictable rainy weather have almost halved this year's mango harvest. In addition, the corona pandemic has made it much more difficult to export the fruit, with closed borders and fewer flights.

The fruit rotted

When freight plan is on the ground, it is especially the exports to the US and Europe that are affected. But also land-based transport is affected. Dozens of mango packed trucks got stuck on the border with Iran last month, causing the fruit to rot in the 40-degree heat.

Pakistan last year produced 1.5 million tonnes of mangoes, and exported 115,000 tonnes, making them the world's sixth largest mango exporter.

"Fluctuating prices"

Most of the mango exports go to the Middle East, where shipping at sea works well. But the people there do not go to the same extent as before to the shops, and do not indulge in the luxury of mangoes. In addition, the large proportion of Pakistani guest workers has returned to their home country.

Mango exports to Europe are already limited by severe restrictions, and the corona pandemic makes it even more difficult.

- Initially, the mango price was raised because the limited space on the aircraft increased freight prices. But then the price of oil has gone down, which leveled out the price. But the price has, to say the least, been fluctuating. Right now it's almost back to normal, just a little higher, says Jens Persson at the vegetable wholesaler Greenfood / Ewerman in Helsingborg who has not noticed any lack of mango.

Done from grasshoppers

A bright spot for the Pakistani growers, however, is that the mango crop survived the worst grasshopper invasion in 25 years, which destroyed much of the country's vegetable and cotton crops. And now that flights are starting to catch up, growers are hoping for a better end to the growing season.

"This situation has forced us to come up with new solutions," says mango producer Muhammad Ali Gardezi, who switched to online trading and door-to-door delivery.