Home ›› 23 Jan 2023 ›› Corporate
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) is looking to boost mango export by modernising the production of the popular fruit under a new project.
DAE officials made the announcement at a workshop on the ‘Exportable Mango Production Project’ at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) auditorium at Farmgate in the capital, according to a press statement.
Agriculture Secretary Wahida Akter attended the workshop as the chief guest while Md Mahbubul Haque Patwary,additional secretary, Planning Wing of the Ministry of Agriculture, and BARC Chairman Dr Sheikh Mohammad Bakhtiar attended the programme as special guests. DAE Director Badal Chandra Biswas presided over the event.
Speakers at the event said 25-30 per cent of mangoes are wasted due to non-use of modern agricultural technology at transportation, storage, marketing and production stages.
By producing exportable mangoes will push up the total production by five per cent and create employment opportunities and increase export earnings, they said.
Presenting the project’s activities, Project Director Mohammad Arifur Rahman said, “The exportable mango production project is being implemented in 46 upazilas of 15 mango producing districts of the country.
He said the project aims to produce exportable quality through mango farmers.
Under the project, the DAE will organise 2,300 mango produce exhibitions, create 2,300 exportable mango orchards, arrange 1840 fertiliser and weeding management programmes in existing mango orchards and hold 1,840 exhibitions at the ground level on the use of modern technology to produce quality mangoes.
Moreover, aimed at accelerating mango exports, the project will involve development of Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) and good agricultural practices for mangoes, demonstration using GIS technology and sharing and storage of agricultural technology information and preparation of product profiles of five varieties of mangoes.
As project assistance, small agricultural machinery -mango plucker, hydraulic mango harvester, garden tiller hand sprayer, foot pump, LLP and ribbon pile set- will be provided to the mango growers for training and familiarisation with modern technology.
Officials said they look to increase production of high quality mangoes in the project area and boost their exports which are expected to develop a value chain system in the marketing of the products and bring financial benefits to the farmers.
According to the officials, mangoes are a great boon of nature for Bangladesh in diversifying exports and increasing foreign exchange earnings. Bangladeshi mangoes have considerable reputation and demand in various European countries including the UK.
They said with the aim of increasing quality production and supporting proper market access, the project will help mango producers and exporters to create market linkages, which will increase mango exports. This will create agricultural entrepreneurship
Besides, they said the production of mangoes in the project area will increase by 5-10 per cent from the current situation through the expansion of good agricultural technology suitable for adaptation to climate change.
Market availability of quality safe mangoes will increase through hands-on education on mango harvesting, grading, culling, and washing under the project, said DAE officials, adding that this will inspire more people to invest in mango production, preservation, processing and marketing. Ultimately, the project will create more employment opportunities and increase farmers’ income.
PSO of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute Dr Md Atiqur Rahman presented the keynote paper on ‘Quality Assurance of Mangoes for Boosting Export’ in the workshop.
Representative of mango producers, government officials and other stakeholders also attended the workshop.
