FAO to assist Bangladesh in exporting mangoes under One Country One Product scheme

  The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization has expressed their interest to assist Bangladesh in exporting mangoes from Bangladesh under their One Country One Product (OCOP) scheme.

Representatives of the organisation who met the interim government's Agriculture Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury in the capital today (11 September), also showed eagerness in diversifying and extending the export of various crops from Bangladesh.

In reply, the adviser said, "Besides mangoes, we produce a large amount of jackfruits, which can be included in the export basket. The agricultural ministry will fully cooperate with FAO in this regard."

The team, led by Dr Jiaoqun Shi, met the adviser at his office in the Secretariat, where topics like agricultural loss during recent floods, technical and advisory assistance for agricultural development and diversifying export of agricultural products were discussed.

Welcoming the FAO team, the adviser said, "FAO has helped Bangladesh in many sectors and I hope the assistance will continue. 11 out of the 23 districts which were flooded witnessed extreme agricultural losses, and FAO's help is needed to overcome them."

Replying to the adviser, FAO representative Shi said, "FAO has always helped Bangladesh, and we are ready to provide more seeds, agricultural technologies, technical and advisory assistance."

Mentioning FAO's involvement in the Program on Agricultural and Rural Transformation for Nutrition, Entrepreneurship and Resilience (PARTNER) project of the agricultural ministry to ensure food and nutrition for the country's people, Shi added that FAO will assist Bangladesh in 18 sectors under this project.

During the meeting, FAO representative expressed in getting updates on Bangladesh's agricultural sector on a regular basis, to which the adviser agreed

The high-ups of agriculture ministry and FAO team members were present in the meeting.