Mango exports from C�nawabganj to UK supermarkets begin
Our Correspondent
Businesses of Chapainawabganj on Wednesday started exporting mangoes for the first time to the supermarkets of the United Kingdom creating a huge commercial prospect for growers to get higher prices of their best quality harvest, reports BSS.
The success has been achieved by dint of promoting fruit bagging technology in some mango orchards commercially in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts this year for the first time yielding more than 10 tonnes of exportable safe, hygiene and disease-free mango in the two districts.
In the preliminary stage, two tonnes of Langra and Fazli varieties of mango was sent to the Walmart Chain Super Shop in UK, which is the first export of Chapainawabganjs mangoes to mainstream international supermarket through Messers Barkullah Traders in the district town yesterday afternoon.
The mangoes are being sent the chain shop and other Bangladeshi markets in UK through Deep Enterprize, an exporting farm in Dhaka. Afterwards, mangoes of two other varieties- BARI Mango-3 (Amropali) and Aswina- will be exported in pace of the initiative.
Anwarul Islam, a fruit bagging mango grower, said: I am really excited a lot to say that mangoes from Chapainawabganj have market access to UKs chain shop meaning to open a gateway for other supermarkets in Europe.
Besides, mango exports to European markets will ensure better livelihood of the farmers for receiving high prices of mangoes. It is another reason for my excitement.
Mango exports to UK will open the door to earning foreign currency and will also help the government start on product diversification, he added while talking to the local journalists.
Md Muniruzzaman, President of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: It is not a charity and even it is not a donation.... It is fully a commercial issue. He said all stakeholders including farmers must have to produce good quality mangoes maintaining its highest quality, if they want to continue mango exports to Europes chain shops.
Consumers in the United Kingdom will be able to buy Bangladesh-grown soft and juicy fleshed mangoes from their neighbourhood supermarkets from next Monday.
With the Oxfam-Novim providing support to Agriculture Sustainable and
Socio-economic Development Organisation, 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. Regional Horticulture Research Center extends technical support to the venture. An additional advantage is that some Bangladeshi mango varieties mature early in the season and therefore could be sold to UK consumers before other varieties from competitor countries are made available.
It is good news indeed that mangoes are being exported to England from Bangladesh.
Why are mangoes being exported to the UK alone? There is demand for this luscious fruit in other countries too. Other than foreign consumers, there are a large number of expatriate Bangladeshis who love their mangoes, said Abdul Wahid, President of Chapainawabganj Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
