RAJSHAHI, May 20, 2019 (BSS)- Rajshahi, nationwide famous for mango
production, has been exporting mango to different European countries for the
last couple of years after meeting up the local demands.
This year also, the amount of exportable quality mango is expected to be
around 100 tonnes. Of those, at least 50 tonnes are likely to be exported
with arrangement of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
To achieve the target, around 50,000 mangoes are being fruit bagged after
the best uses of modern technologies in the district at present. Apart from,
best qualities mangoes are being produced for exporting to foreign countries.
Last year, export of the fruit bagged mangoes has been reduced to some
extent due to various complexities. But, this time the growers and DAE
officials are very much hopeful in this regard.
“We have to comply 26 conditions in terms of exporting mango and bagging
is one of those,” said Dr Alim Uddin, Principal Scientific Officer of Fruit
Research Station, while talking to BSS here today. Quarantine test is
mandatory in this regard, he added.
He says 14 businessmen exported 25 tonnes mango last year while 30 tonnes
in 2017. The success has been achieved by dint of promoting best hygiene
practice and other modern technologies in some mango orchards commercially in
the district last year for the first time yielding more than 50 tonnes of
exportable safe and disease-free mango.
Agriculturist Alim Uddin said mango farming in fruit-bagging method has
gradually been rising here for the last couple of years. If the mango was
cultivated through this method there is no need of pesticide use to prevent
fruit-fly. As a result, mango remained in poison-free condition.
He said many farmers and value chain actors got the necessary training on
best agricultural practices and with that they started exploring the high
value export markets.
Ashrafuddola, a mango farmer of Kaligram village under Bagha Upazila, said
he started using fruit-bagging technology since last year and got better
yield and market price than conventional system. Bagged mangoes are protected
from storm like natural disaster and fruit-fly like insect.
Abdur Razzak is a successful mango farmer from Sapahar upazila in Naogaon.
Last year, after using fruit bagging in around 7 acres of land, his sales
shot up, and he applied the technique in 14 acres of farming land this year.
According to Razzak, fruit bagging should be used to protect mangoes from
insecticides, insects and adverse weather.
“We have capacity of exporting 100 tonnes of mango but we are very much
optimistic of sending at least 50 tonnes to foreign markets this year,” said
Shamsul Haque, Deputy Director of DAE.
He said 50 big orchard owners were given certificate after listing them
for mango export. Prior to this, they were imparted training on production of
safe and poison-free mango through agriculture management.
Anwarul Haque, President of Bangladesh Agro Food Association, says highest
quantity of mango had been exported in 2016 but significant amount could not
be exported in the following two years due to quarantine restriction.
Mango export is almost double profitable than that of selling in local
markets. But additional cost and care is needed for preparing the exportable
mango as it requires using of modern technologies, Haque mentioned.
Demands are high for mangoes produced through fruit bagging due their
purity from adulterants as it’s a modern and environment-friendly method.
Md Muniruzzaman, President of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
said all stakeholders including farmers must have to produce good quality
mangoes maintaining its highest value, if they want to continue mango exports
to Europe’s chain shops.
“An additional advantage is that some Bangladeshi mango varieties mature
early in the season and therefore could be sold to European consumers before
other varieties from competitor countries are made available,” the chamber
leader said.