While increasing mango export to traditional markets of Gulf and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan is striving to sell the fruit to European countries, the state-run APP news agency said Friday.

The Pakistani Export Development Fund (EDF) has approved an amount of 250 million rupees (about 4.17 million U.S. dollars) for promoting mango exports to European destinations, the APP report said.

The government is making all efforts to increase mango production and enhance its export to Gulf and Saudi Arabia, and progress has been achieved for exporting mango to European countries, said Pakistani Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan while addressing an EDF Board meeting.

Pakistan, the fifth largest producer and third largest exporter of mango in the world, produces 1,674,000 tons annually and gains 23 million U.S. dollars from the export.

Efforts are being made to boost mango exports from last year's 11,500 tons to 16,000 tons for the current season, the APP report said.

Source: Xinhua