Agri-materials to be provided on time to boost mango production: Agriculture minister

The production of several crops including mangoes has decreased due to the excessive heat this year, Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdus Shahid said today (10 June).

"In order to increase agricultural production, farmers will be supplied with fertilisers, seeds, pesticides and all agricultural materials on time," Dr Shahid said while speaking at the opening ceremony of the mango export programme at the central packing house in the capital's Shyampur on Monday afternoon.

The minister said Bangladeshi mangoes have a good reputation and demand in different countries of the world.

"If mangoes are supplied from Bangladesh to the mainstream supermarkets of developed countries, the export volume of mangoes will increase to a large extent and the mango producers will be more profitable," he added.

He said the export of mangoes can play a profitable role to increase foreign income.

The government is implementing various measures to earn a significant amount of foreign exchange through mango export, he informed.

Addressing the mango exporters, the minister said that the central packing house at Shyampur has been modernised and strengthened to increase mango exports. 

"We are working to remove other barriers too," he said.

Although the export of mangoes was officially inaugurated today, around 189 metric tonnes of Gopalbhog and Himsagar variety of mangoes have been exported to 15 countries since the last week of May. Today, 25 tonnes of mangoes will be exported to England, Germany, Italy and France in 14 consignments.

This year, the Ministry of Agriculture has set a target of exporting 3,100 tonnes of exportable mangoes of Gopalbhog, Himsagar, Amrapali, Fazli, Surma Fazli, Bari-4 varieties to around 38 countries of the world.

In 2023, a total of 3,092 tonnes of mangoes were exported to 38 countries of the world.