Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdus Shahid has said Bangladesh currently is exporting mangoes to 38 countries.
The export of mangoes from Bangladesh is set to increase significantly as the government works to expand the market abroad, said the minister.
He said this during a visit to the mango orchard in the Kandbona village of Nachole Upazila, Chapainawabganj, on Thursday.
To increase mango exports to various countries, safe mango production is being carried out in Bangladesh following Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).
This initiative was observed firsthand by ambassadors and mission heads from around 20 countries stationed in Dhaka.
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Ambassadors, high commissioners and heads of mission of about 20 countries in Dhaka visited safe mango production activities in Chapainawabgani district as mangoes are being produced there following the good agricultural practices (GAP) to increase its export abroad.
In the afternoon, they visited the mango orchard of farmer Ruhul Amin, who is following good agricultural practices in mango production.
During the visit, the envoys appreciated this initiative of Bangladesh and were impressed by the safe mango production process, said a press release of the Agriculture Ministry.
Agriculture Minister Dr Abdus Shahid, State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam Titu, State Minister for Rural Development and Cooperatives Md Abdul Wadud, local MP Md Ziaur Rahman, Agriculture Secretary Wahida Akter, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council Sheikh Mohammad Bakhtiar, and ambassadors from Brunei Darussalam, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Spain, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Bhutan, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Libya participated in the visit. The Bangladesh representative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was also part of the team.
After visiting the mango orchard, the agriculture minister said: "Bangladeshi mangoes are unparalleled in taste and aroma and are very popular abroad. There is potential to export hundreds of thousands of tons of mangoes every year from the country.
“However, we currently export only about 3,000 tons. The main obstacle has been not following GAP. Therefore, we have started producing safe mangoes following GAP. Today, ambassadors from various countries have observed this activity," he added.
The minister said: "We are trying to export more mangoes. Through this visit, we are encouraging ambassadors to increase mango exports and earn foreign currency. I believe this visit will result in a significant increase in mango exports."
State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam Titu said: "The Ministries of Agriculture, Commerce, and Foreign Affairs will work together to brand our mangoes abroad to increase exports. We have many problems regarding mango exports, but we will solve them.”
"Without GAP, mangoes cannot be exported abroad even if desired. We have started implementing GAP, and there will be no problems in the future," he added.
Agriculture Secretary Wahida Akter said: "We have started Good Agricultural Practices, and representatives from around the world have seen it. This will help increase our exports."
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen commented: "There is no doubt about the quality of our mangoes. However, each country has phytosanitary issues and specific standards. If we can produce mangoes following GAP, they can be exported to all countries in the world."
In 2021, mangoes worth about US$ 1.5 billion were exported. Around 1,757 tonnes of mangoes were exported in fiscal 2021-22, while 3,100 tonnes in fiscal 2022-23.
