Bangladeshi mangoes' export potential largely untapped, experts say
As Bangladesh works to diversify its export base beyond traditional sectors, mangoes have surfaced as a high-potential foreign exchange earner thanks to their global popularity and strong domestic production capacity. Yet, a recently released study highlights persistent structural challenges that continue to curb the fruit's export growth.
The research, titled 'Advancing Mango Production & Forward Marketing in Bangladesh: From Local Garden to Global Markets', identifies several critical bottlenecks hindering mango exports. These include the lack of Global Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification; inadequate infrastructure for quality control, post-harvest treatment, processing, and cold-chain management; limited branding and market positioning; insufficient technology-driven market intelligence; weak government–private sector collaboration; and the absence of mangoes as a policy priority in export strategy.
The report was launched at an event held in Dhaka on 10 December. Sustainable Agriculture Foundation Bangladesh (SAF Bangladesh) and LightCastle Partners, with philanthropic support from HSBC Bangladesh, jointly organised the event, according to a press release issued by LightCastle Partners.
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According to the report, global annual demand for mangoes is around 2.4 million tonnes, with countries like Mexico, Thailand, and Brazil dominating supply. Bangladesh, which produced approximately 1.5 million tonnes in 2022, ranks as the eighth-largest mango producer in the world.
Despite this production strength, Bangladesh's export engagement remains minimal — accounting for less than 0.05% of its total mango output. This low export share highlights a significant opportunity gap at the global level.
The research notes that while traditional export markets have included countries in Europe and the Middle East, Bangladesh has recently begun exporting to China, signaling entry into new markets. By May 2025, mango export earnings reached USD2,84,135, exceeding previous years' performance.
Recognising the export potential of Bangladeshi mangoes, Nasir-Ud-Doula, director general (additional secretary) of the Department of Agricultural Marketing and chief guest of the event, said, "We are placing strong emphasis on cultivating improved and high-quality mango varieties".
He however highlighted the need for effective collaboration among the ministry, the national board of revenue, airlines, shipping lines, and the private sector to create an enabling environment for mango exports.
Experts at the event named Alphonso, Kesar, Nam Dok Mai, Keitt, Kent, Palmar, and Tommy Atkins as the major mango varieties with strong global demand. They observed that if Bangladesh focuses on diversifying its mango varieties and improving the quality, it can significantly expand its presence in the US, European Union, and Middle East markets in the coming years.
Md Farhad Zamil, executive director of SAF Bangladesh, Davesh Dayal Mathur, chief operating officer (COO) of HSBC Bank, Syeda Afzalun Nessa, head of sustainability at HSBC Bank spoke at the event.
Abdur Rouf, director of Programme Development at SAF Bangladesh moderated the panel discussion where Ataus Sopan Malik, managing director of AR Malik, Kamruzzaman Kamal, director (Marketing) of PRAAN-RFL Group, Professor M A Rahim of Daffodil International University discussed the research findings.
