The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has taken a special project for raising quality mango production by using modern farm technology and boosting export.
Though Bangladesh's mango shipment has increased in recent times, the country's export earning from the fruit is still much lower compared to those of its competitive countries.
These were revealed at an awareness raising workshop on the exportable mango production project, held at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) Auditorium in the capital on Sunday, organised by the DAE.
According to the DAE and the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data, Bangladesh produced 2.35 million tonnes of mango in fiscal year (FY), 2021- 22, of which it exported only 1,737 tonnes or 0.08 per cent of the total production that fetched US$0.24 million.
Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) Secretary Wahida Akhtar informed that 25-30 per cent of the total mangoes are wasted for lack of using modern agricultural technology at production, storage, transportation, and marketing stages.
She also said the project could help raise mango output by 5.0 per cent and generate new employment.
MoA Additional Secretary Mahbubul Haque Patwari said production of high quality safe mangoes in the project area would be increased along with export while proper value chain system would be developed for marketing the produces.
And thus the gardeners concerned could make good profit, he added.
DAE Director Genera Badal Chandra Biswas, who chaired the workshop, said mango is a natural boon for Bangladesh, which could help diversify the country's export basket.
Bangladeshi mango varieties have high reputation and demand in many European countries, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy and others, he noted.
Project Director Mohammad Arifur Rahman said the project is being implemented in 46 upazilas of 15 mango producing districts of the country.
It aims at producing exportable quality mangoes through 2,300 demonstration plots, and 2,300 mango orchards. The project would also develop 1,840 fertiliser and pest management sites in existing mango orchards.
It would also boost use of modern technology, like pruning bagging, and pest management, to produce quality mangoes and accelerate export.
The project would involve development of Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), using GIS technology.
It would also share and store agricultural and technological information as well as preparation of product portfolio of five mango varieties.
As project assistance, small agricultural machinery, like mango plucker, hydraulic mango harvester, garden tiller, hand sprayer, foot pump, LLP, ribbon pile set, etc, would be provided to the mango growers.
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute scientist Dr Md Atiqur Rahman presented a paper on quality assurance of mango for boosting export.
Advisor of Bangladesh Fruits, Vegetables and Allied Products Exporters' Association Manjurul Islam, and mango producer Ismail Khan Shamim also spoke, among others, on the occasion.
