Dhaka, Apr 28 (V7N) — Bangladesh is poised to set a record in mango production and export this year, with a target of producing around 2.7 million metric tons of mangoes across approximately 25,034 hectares of land. Officials are also hopeful of exporting 5,000 metric tons of mangoes abroad during this season.

Every year, Bangladesh exports mangoes to at least 38 countries, including the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Canada. This year, for the first time, Bangladeshi mangoes are set to enter the Chinese market. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has already been signed between Bangladesh and China to facilitate this new export opportunity.

Mohammad Arifur Rahman, Project Director of the 'Exportable Mango Production Project' under the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), stated that if favorable weather and other factors continue, this year's mango production will be excellent. He added that efforts are underway to achieve the export target of about 5,000 metric tons.

Speaking about the breakthrough with China, he noted that mangoes must be registered with the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) for export. Bangladesh received GACC registration for mango exports in July last year. Since then, Chinese importers, traders, and officials have been closely inspecting the different stages of the mango export process from Bangladesh, including hot water treatment calibration and packaging standards.

"If everything goes well, the first shipments of mangoes to China could start from June," Rahman said, adding that this development could open a significant new chapter for Bangladesh’s mango export industry.

According to DAE data, Bangladesh produced 2,350,499 metric tons of mangoes on 22,968 hectares of land in the 2020–21 fiscal year. This figure rose to 2,774,459 metric tons in the 2022–23 fiscal year. In the last fiscal year (2023–24), mango production reached 2,508,973 metric tons over 205,034 hectares.

Currently, Bangladesh ranks seventh in the world in terms of mango production. Bangladeshi mangoes are highly sought after globally and are exported to countries including India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, France, Sweden, and Canada.

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