MULTAN (APP) Mango farms in Multan and other parts of the growing area have started getting modern post-harvest treatment facilities and the exotic Pakistani fruit is now all set to mesmerise lucrative foreign markets. Six mango farms of Multan, three in Rahim Yar Khan and another four in Sindh have recently won Global Gap certification, thanks to foreign donors assistance in providing much wanted equipment to farmers to enable them make Pakistani mango acceptable to foreign buyers and consumers in accordance with their certain quarantine and other rules. All these farms would have hot water treatment facility, blast chiller, cold chiller, wash and dry and other necessary post-harvest facilities. Lutfabad mango farm owner and marketing executive of the mango brand 'Ali Zeeshan, Major (Rtd) Tariq Khan told APP that his farm was the first in Multan for installation of the equipment. Three mango consignments each weighing eight (8) ton have already been sent from Multan to European countries this mango season, he said and added that more consignments from this farm were in the pipeline. Tariq Khan expects accelerated export of mango to foreign lucrative markets by July 2011 pleading that bulk of Multani mango would be ready for processing then. The post-harvest facilities not only enhanced exports of mango to bring handsome returns to growers but it also opened another window of earning i.e to sell their services to other mango growers interested in adding value to their fruit for export. The farm has made available wash and dry facility at Rs 5 per kg, and Rs 7 per kg in case the blast chiller is used for seven hours and cold chiller for 19 hours, Tariq said. He said that treatment was necessary to keep mango disease free and to ensure its transportation to the shelves of the super store chains in the western countries in good shape. Three big wholesale supply chains of Europe including Nature Brand, Civil Fruit and MWW have signed agreement with Tariqs mango farm for purchase of the fruit, Tariq said and added, he was looking forward to a bright future of mango growers across Pakistan by virtue of opening of this window of opportunity.