Bangladesh to begin mango export to China for the first time on 28 May: Agri secy

Bangladesh is going to export mangoes to China for the first time on 28 May, Agriculture Secretary Dr Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian announced today (21 May).

"About 50 tonnes of mangoes will be exported to China this year, while talks are on with Chinese provisional governments and the Chinese ambassador in Dhaka to export more mangoes to China," he said at a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.

Besides, he said, the agriculture ministry has taken various initiatives to explore more international markets for Bangladeshi mangoes.

The agriculture secretary said Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus at a meeting today directed them to explore new international markets for mangoes by assessing country-specific need and demand for mangoes.

He said a big initiative regarding mango is going to be taken by the agriculture ministry, which will be visible soon.

In addition, Emdad Ullah said the government has taken steps to export Bangladeshi jackfruits to China.

About 27 lakh tonnes of mangoes are produced in the country each year, he said, adding that mango is a seasonal fruit and activities are underway to export mangoes abroad.

He said about 31,100 tonnes of mangoes were exported in 2022-23, while 1,321 tonnes in 2023-24.

On the other hand, he said, mango production was 27 lakh tonnes in 2022-23 and 24.5 lakh metric tonnes in 2023-24.

The agriculture secretary said Bangladesh produces on average 25 lakh tonnes of mangoes each year, while it exports 1,000 to 3,000 tonnes.

There is a demand of Bangladeshi mangoes around the world as it is delicious to eat, he said.

Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam and Additional Secretary Dr Md Mahmudur Rahman were present at the press briefing. 

Earlier, in March, China expressed its interest in importing mango, guava and jackfruit from Bangladesh.