Chapainawabganj district is especially known for its mangoes, and its tasty fruit has been exported beyond the country's borders many times. Yet despite the appreciation abroad, the hoped-for success has not come. To export safe mangoes, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has taken up a project named the "Exportable Mango Production Project".

Growers see hope for mango exports in the project, launched this year. In other years farmers produced exportable mangoes on their own initiative but faced losses when they could not send them abroad. This time, with a government project in place, DAE says mango exports are assured.

The district's mangoes are sweet, but exports have drawn little response. Although Bangladeshi mangoes are in demand in many countries, growers cannot export them because of a web of rules and regulations. Despite high production, growers are frustrated at not getting the prices they want, and many are cutting down their mango trees.

Ahsan Habib, member secretary of the Mango Foundation in Chapainawabganj, said: "This time, after DAE training, we are growing mangoes with less pesticide spraying, and the yield is good. If we can export these mangoes, we will get the price we want."

Munjer Alam Manik, general secretary of the Chapainawabganj District Agriculture Association, said the project DAE has taken up to export mangoes is a very good plan, and growers who work with mangoes under it will get the prices they want.

Recently a man named Badruddoza from the district's Nachole upazila exported 1,400 kg of mangoes to England and Sweden. Although he is not part of the exportable mango project, the agriculture extension office gave him every kind of support.

Palash Sarkar, deputy director of the district DAE office, said the Exportable Mango Production Project was taken up this year and covers 201 mango growers. Each has been given a demonstration plot along with training, fertiliser, insecticide, pesticide and fruit bags. Through the project, farmers will be able to produce exportable mangoes and send them to foreign markets.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.