KARACHI: A Dubai-bound cargo ship on Monday left for Masqat by abruptly changing its route without prior intimation to exporters, who had booked fruits’ consignments for Dubai. The change of route has risked huge quantity of mango being exported to Dubai in the said ship, which is likely to cause around Rs. 90 million losses to the Pakistani exporters.

Talking to Business Recorder, Waheed Ahmed, Co-Chairman of Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters and Importers Association (PFVA), said that the shipping company abruptly changed its route without informing the exporters. “As the new route of the cargo ship would delay the delivery of shipment for many days, at least 10 companies of mango industry which had their consignments in the ship, are feared to face huge losses,” he pointed out.

The cargo ship, Jolly of Shima Tef shipping company, will now go to Masqat from there it will sail to Dubai, he said.

However, by late Tuesday, the fruit exporters, who were set to face huge losses, decided to offload their consignments at Sultan Qaboos Port of Masqat in a bid to sale/market the fruits in Oman’s market. Interestingly, the packed fresh mango is now being sent to a country where no demand of the fruit was received earlier.

“ Only to minimize losses, it has been decided to discharge goods at new port as the perishable items will be of no use after coming back from Masqat to Jabber Ali Port of Duabi,” Ahmed said adding that they would now try to sale the highly-valued fruits in Oman’s market.

Besides, Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) flights for Jeddah which were supposed to carry freight goods (fresh mango) worth Rs10 million, are also leaving for the foreign country without carrying the scheduled cargo. The PIA flights, according PFVA officials, lack required equipments to lift the already booked fruits consignments. As the fruits being sent by air are almost ripe and meant for direct marketing at retail outlets, are feared to be rotten/impaired.  

The consignments of mangos were not being lifted by PIA, saying that the Jeddah Bound flights lack enough space for the booked goods, thus inflicting more losses on the exporters, who are already facing problems regarding shipment.

Ahmed requested Ministries of Ports and Shipping, Commerce, and others concerned authorities to take action against such companies and responsible authorities to avoid huge losses to the exporters. He also requested the Ministry of Defense to arrange cargo space in PIA flights to cater the demands of the already established foreign markets.