Plan for 1 lakh tonnes of mango export

Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque yesterday instructed the ministry officials and other agencies concerned to prepare a roadmap to take annual mango exports to 1 lakh tonnes within the next three to five years.

Bangladesh produces 25 lakh tonnes of mango a year but exports only a few hundred tonnes, he lamented.

The government is identifying the obstacles and embassies will be contacted to form committees comprising different officials to find new markets, he said.

Meanwhile, work is underway to set up three vacuum heat treatment plants while good agricultural practices are being implemented, all to maintain quality standards from production to shipment and ensure mangoes are safe for consumption, he said.

Besides, the government has been issuing phytosanitary certificates, resulting in a fivefold increase in export this year compared to that last year, he added.

The minister was addressing a workshop titled "Improved Management of Mango for Increasing Mango Exports" organised by Hortex Foundation at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council in Dhaka.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), 1,623 tonnes of mango were exported last fiscal year. Only 283 tonnes were exported in fiscal 2019-20.