Bangladesh to make record in production, export of mango

Bangladesh is going to witness a bumper production and export of delicious summer fruit mango in this season as some 2,05,034 hectares of land will be brought under mango cultivation eying a record production target of 27 lakh metric tonnes.

The officials concerned also expect to export around 5,000 metric tonnes of mango this time.

Bangladesh exports mango every year to some 38 countries including UK, Italy, France, Canada while this is for the first time, mango will be exported to China. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has already been signed between the two countries in this regard.

Project Director of the exportable mango production project Arifur Rahman hoped that the country is expected to witness bumper production of mango this time subject to favourable conditions and weather.

Besides, he said there is also a target for exporting some 5,000 metric tonnes of mango this time.

Regarding the potential of exporting mango to China, he said that a MoU has already been signed between the two countries while it is necessary to take registration from the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) to export food items to China.

He said that GACC provided registration to Bangladesh for exporting mango in last July while various issues are being scrutinized at different levels for exporting mango to China.

Arifur hoped that if everything goes well, then exporting mango to China would begin from June this year which would open up a new avenue of potential.

According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Bangladesh witnessed a production of 23,50,499 metric tonnes of mango through bringing some 2,02,968 hectares of land in FY21 while the production rose to 27,07,459 metric tonnes in   FY23.

However, in the last fiscal year (FY24), the production of mango totalled 25,08,973 metric tonnes through bringing some 2,05,034 hectares of land under cultivation.

Considering the export statistics of mango, it was found that some 309 metric tonnes of mango were exported in FY17 which jumped to 1,757 metric tonnes in FY22.

In continuation of this, mango production increased to 3,100 metric tonnes in FY23 which have, however, declined to 1,321 metric tonnes in the following FY24.

Mango grows widely all over Bangladesh and it is called the king of fruits here. Each variety has its own admirers. Some better mangoes are the superior grafted varieties whereas local or Deshi mango is also grown from seedlings.

According to the DAE, the better varieties of mango have exotic names like Fazlee, Langra, Gopalbhogh, Himsagar, Khirsapat, Amrapali, Mollika, Subornarekha, Misridana, Nilambori, Kalibhogh, Kanchamitha, Alfanso, Baromasi, Totapuri, Karabau, Keo Sao, Gopal Khas, Kent, Surjopuree, Pahutan, Trifola, Haribhanga, Chatapora, Guthli, Lokhna, Adaira, Kolaboti, and Rupali. Besides, various varieties of improved BARI mango are also available.

Additional Deputy Director of the exportable mango production project Sazzad Hossain Mozumder said mangoes are produced mostly in 15 districts of the country including Rajshahi, Naogaon, Satkhira and Chapainawabganj.

He informed that the harvest of mango in this season would start with the Gopalbhogh variety of Satkhira from 5 May.

Bangladesh is currently in the 7th slot in production of mango as its delicious and mouth watering mango is being exported to countries like India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UK, Italy, Germany, France, Sweden and Canada.

The major mango exporting countries include Mexico, Thailand, Brazil, Peru, Netherlands, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Spain and Ecuador of which Mexico exports the most 4,21,636 metric tonnes of mango every year.