Mango export begins as 13 tonnes heading to 5 countries today

The export of mangoes for the current season officially begins today (28 May), with a shipment of 13 tonnes of mangoes being sent to five countries— the United States, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain in the first phase.

Agriculture Secretary Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian made the announcement at an event held today at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) in Dhaka, marking the official inauguration of the mango export season.

Addressing the event, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said there was significant demand for Bangladeshi mangoes abroad, and the government was actively working to expand mango exports.

He emphasised the need to increase both mango production and exports, saying that projects are being implemented to boost production and that incentives will be provided based on farmers' needs.

Instructing the horticulture centres to scale up sapling production through government incentives, the adviser added that farmers will have access to high-quality mango saplings at subsidised rates from these centres.

Calling for greater efforts to protect the interests of farmers, the adviser said, "Everyone has a platform to voice their concerns, but our farmers do not. It is our duty to ensure they receive fair prices for their produce."

During the event, mango growers and exporters shared concerns regarding bagging, packaging, transportation, and incentives. The adviser assured them that steps would be taken to address these issues.

Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Md Mahmudur Rahman, Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension Md Saiful Alam, and Executive Chairman of BARC Nazmun Nahar Karim were also present at the event.