Lahore:
Punjab Tourism Department inaugurated the highly expected Mango Festival 2025 in Lahore, showing over 50 varieties of Pakistan’s beloved summer fruit.
Held at a local hotel, the two-day event drew large crowds including citizens, tourists, farmers, agricultural experts, students and professionals from the food and hospitality industry.
The festival offered a vibrant mix of traditional dance, folk, crafts and a host of mango -based dishes that made the event a unique celebration of agriculture, culture and culinary creativity.
The festival was formally opened by Punjab Secretary of Tourism Fared Ahmad Tarar and Dr. Nasir Mehmood, CEO of Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP).
Tarar described the festival not only as a celebration of Mango, but also as a tribute to the hard-working farmers in Punjab and the province’s rich agricultural and cultural heritage.
Dr. Mehmood emphasized that the event acts as a platform to promote tourism, hospitality and local industries together with agriculture.
Agricultural expert Rana Asif Hayat Tipu emphasized that five tonnes of mango of export quality were made available at agricultural prices for tackling public concerns that high quality fruit is rarely available in retail markets.
However, he warned that climate change, intense heat, dust storms and water shortages had affected this year’s crop seriously, which resulted in an estimated 40-50% decrease in production.
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Experts noted that Pakistan typically produces about 1.8 million tonnes of mango annually, with Punjab contributed 70%of the national output, Sindh 29%and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa approx. 1%.
Due to adverse weather conditions, 2025’s output is expected to fall to approx. 1.4 million tonnes.
Nevertheless, the government has ambitiously raised the export target to 125,000 tonnes this season, aiming for $ 100 million. (Approx. PKR 28m) in currency earnings. Last year, only 13,681 tonnes were exported, generating $ 46.7 million.
Festival goers, especially women and young participants, expressed enthusiasm for witnessing such a diverse range of mango varieties in one place – something they rarely encounter in local markets. Nimra, a representative of a hospitality group, shared that their booths were focused on teaching participants, how to prepare a variety of mango -based dishes such as cakes, shakes, chutneys, juices and ice cream that promotes mango as a versatile ingredient over a simple chilled fruit.
The young artist Sarah Muhammad Hussain and her team showed paintings with mango-theme, catching the lively colors and aromatic essence of the fruit on canvas.
Pakistan grows more than 200 mango varieties, of which approx. 20 are grown commercially and exported globally. These include popular types such as Chaunsa, Sindhri, Neelum, Anwar Ratol, Langra, Dussehri, Phali, Gulab Khas, Saroli and Zafran began.
Known for their extraordinary flavors, aroma, color and nutritional value, Pakistani Mango continues to enjoy Premium status in international markets and earn them the title “King of Fruit.”
According to the TDCP officials, the Mango Festival plays a key role in increasing Agri-Tourism and the Cultural Examination, while facilitating direct interaction between breeders and exporters, there improves value chains and market access for local producers.
Previously, Twin Cities of Islamabad and Rawal Pinde slipped over the sweet happiness of Mango, hailed appropriately as the “fruits” as the juicy joy brings joy to people of all ages during the summer season.
Live screens of mango greet shoppers in local markets, where suppliers show any kind of mango from the famous Chaunsa, Sindhri and Anwar Ratol to the valued Langra, Fajli and Dusehri.
Each type of variation is easily accessible.
Mango lovers can enjoy the sweetness of Chaunsa, Sindhri’s Tanginess, or explore other unique flavors, making the twin towns a refuge for mangoers.
When people enjoy the mango season, suppliers work hard to meet demand. A fruit supplier in Islamabad’s F-6 market, Muhammad Ali, shared that “We import Mango from the best orchards in Sindh and Punjab to ensure top quality and taste.
He said Mango is flying off the shelves and they have a fantastic season so far, with Chaunsa and Sindhri the best sellers.
