Pakistan's mango producers are frustrated with their country's Department of Plant Protection (DPP) for failing to organize protocols and standard operating procedures more than five months after Australia granted import access.

Multan Mango Growers Association president Tariq Khan, said both Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and the DPP had been slow to communicate with stakeholders.

"Both of them have dragged their heels over this, therefore denying mango exports to Australia this year. Protocols and operating procedures should be streamlined and known by exporters at least before May 2013."

Pakistani Consul General in Australia Azam Mohammed, has also warned that unless there is clear information available soon there is a risk of missing 2013's export window from July until mid-October.

Muhammad's criticisms have appeared in the national media with him accusing the authorities of not taking the lucrative business opportunities of mango exports to Australia sufficiently seriously.

DAFF inspectors visited Pakistan in May checking out hot vapor treatment plants and the Karachi irradiation centre, approving facilities in July. Khan claims if the DPP had organized protocols and checklists swiftly then some shipments could have been sent out from August this year.

"They work in a bureaucratic way instead of helping exporters and growers they work as if they are kings living in their places and they don't give us the help we need," he said .

Growers and exporters are still waiting for the DPP to bring out standard operating protocols and a check list detailing processing time, harvesting techniques and temperatures to accredited export producers.

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