7 July 2026, 00:00 AM
S Dilip Roy
Despite being one of the largest mango producers in the world, with an annual surplus of 5 to 7 lakh tonnes, Bangladesh is failing to turn it into an export strength.The country produces 24-25 lakh tonnes of mangoes annually for a domestic market worth Tk 13,000-14,000 crore, with domestic demand standing at around 18-20 lakh tonnes. Yet, its annual export has reached barely 0.1 percent of total production even in its best year.Mango exports stayed flat at around 230 to 310 tonnes a year from fiscal year 2016-17 through FY2020, before growing more than tenfold to a peak of 3,100 tonnes in FY2023, according to Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) data.The growth, however, has been volatile, with exports falling to 1,321 tonnes in FY2024 before recovering to 2,194 tonnes in FY2025. In the current season, exports stand at 1,408 tonnes so far. Harvesting typically runs from mid-May through August, with peak availability stretching into July.Officials and experts note that with stable production, supply is not the problem for mango exports. Fruit bound for export must clear a higher bar than domestic sale, including international standards for appearance, pest-freedom and food safety.For the low mango exports, they point to a shortage of internationally compliant packhouses, inadequate cold-chain infrastructure, no standardised grading or packaging system, limited adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), pest and disease blemishes, and too few entrepreneurs pursuing export markets.
