Why Bangladesh imports mangoes despite being a top producer

13 July 2026, 00:00 AM

Sukanta Halder

Ahmed Deepto

Bangladesh ranks seventh among the world’s mango-producing nations, growing 24-26 lakh tonnes annually for a domestic market worth Tk 13,000 to Tk 14,000 crore.Yet, the country regularly imports mangoes to meet growing year-round demand from the higher-income consumers.The imported mangoes remain a fixture at fruit shops across kitchen markets and superstores in Gulshan, Banani, Baitul Mukarram, Dhanmondi, and Uttara -- catering mainly to high-income buyers willing to pay premium prices year-round.However, traders say demand for imported varieties drops sharply during the local mango season as Bangladeshi mangoes remain unmatched in taste.According to Bangladesh Bank data, mango imports stood at 38.3 tonnes in fiscal year 2020-21 (FY21), rising sharply to 1,343 tonnes in FY22, before falling to 141 tonnes in FY23, 15.29 tonnes in FY24, and just 4.87 tonnes in FY25. Imports rebounded to 37.05 tonnes during the July-May period of the recently concluded FY26.Bangladesh has imported mangoes from Thailand, Egypt, India, Kenya, the Netherlands, Myanmar, the UK, and Australia, among other countries. However, in FY26, imports came only from Thailand, India, and a handful of other countries.