Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
Mango exports from Bangladesh have seen a record surge this year owing to the inclusion of a few local varieties on foreign market shelves.
The total mango exports have reached 2,000 tonnes so far this year, with shipments continuing for the next two months, potentially adding several hundred more tonnes to the export figure.
According to the Plant Quarantine Wing (PQW) under the agriculture ministry, last year's total mango export stood at 1,757 tonnes, while it was only 600 tonnes in 2021.
Dominating the mango export basket are Amrapali, Lengra, Himsagor and Khirsapat varieties coming from Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi and Satkhira.
Amrapali mangoes have the biggest share in the shipments so far, accounting for 80 per cent of the total, PQW officials said.
Md Rafiqul, a gardener from Nachol in Chapainawabganj, told the FE that he supplied 8.0 tonnes of Banana Mango, Amrapali, and Haribhanga to three exporters.
"I sold Amrapali and Haribhanga at Tk 80-100 a kg and Banana mango at Tk 150 a kg," he said.
Exporters offer good payment, but local wholesale market prices hit a three-year low this year, he added.
Md Rafiqul mentioned that his partners and he own 125,000 trees with different mango varieties, and their supply to exporters accounts for less than 2.0 per cent of their total production.
He emphasised that boosting exports is vital to get better prices.
Dr. Md Mafizul Islam, the deputy director (export) of PQW, attributed the rising exports to the implementation of good agricultural practices (GAP) by farmers supplying mangoes to exporters.
He said that Amrapali comprises over 60 per cent of the export, thanks to its extended shelf life and appealing taste.
SM Jahangir Hossain, the president of Bangladesh Fruits Vegetable Allied Products Exporters Association (BFVAPEA), said that exports have been increasing over the past two years, as certain varieties managed to attract mainstream customers in the EU and other regions.
He emphasised that apart from taste, shelf life is a key criteria when it comes to export.
"So far, we have exported mangoes to 31 countries this year," he said.
Professor Golam Hafeez Kennedy, a value chain expert and farm economist, acknowledged the recent rise in mango exports but expressed concern that the volume is still relatively low compared to competitive countries like India, Pakistan and Thailand.
"We have good varieties like Amrapali, Himsagor, Lengra, Fajli and Haribhanga, but we need to do proper branding of Bangladeshi mango varieties, similar to Indian Alphonso or Thai 'Nam Dok Mai' or 'Chok Anan'" he said.
Bangladesh's current mango exports, worth less than $2.0 million, are considered insignificant for a country producing over 2.6 million tonnes of the fruit, according to Professor Kennedy.
He suggested that the government's mango export project, currently limited to a tiny area of 500 to 600 hectares out of 0.25 million hectares, should be expanded and transformed into a nationwide regular programme under the agriculture ministry to boost exports.
Professor Kennedy also recommended increasing the capacity of local processing plants and exports of processed mango products to further develop the mango economy.