The Mekong-Lancang Fruits Festival 2026 begins tomorrow, 21 August, in Kunming, capital of China's Yunnan province. Bangladesh is taking part as co-organiser of one of the region's largest fruit festivals for the second time.

Several Bangladeshi firms are taking part again this year with the aim of expanding international markets for the country's fruit and farm products.

The firms representing Bangladesh will display fresh and dried fruit and other agricultural products, and will have the chance to deal directly with Chinese buyers and international traders.

Mekong-Lancang is a regional platform of China and five South-East Asian countries: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The festival, held to expand farm trade and strengthen cooperation in fruit production and exports among these countries, will feature fruit exhibitions from various countries, product sales, international business networking and opportunities to explore new markets.

Bangladesh's participation has been strengthened following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) and the commerce department of China's Yunnan province. The initiative, held at Tongde Kunming Plaza, has opened new prospects for Bangladeshi exporters to enter the Chinese market.

Under the MoU, Bangladeshi firms have gained commercial opportunities including rent-free bonded warehouse facilities in designated areas of Yunnan, offline exhibition space, the chance to show products on an online commodity platform, and fast customs clearance.

Those involved believe these facilities will play an important role in giving new momentum to Bangladesh's farm exports.

Bangladesh first took part in the Mekong-Lancang Fruits Festival earlier, presenting agricultural and processed food products to international buyers. This year's participation is a broader continuation, in which the country's producers and exporters can deal directly with global buyers, importers and business partners.

Those involved say such international platforms can play an important role in raising exports of Bangladesh's promising fruit, especially mango, jackfruit and lychee, and other farm products to China's huge consumer market. They say it will also help attract investment in agriculture, diversify export products and strengthen Bangladesh's position in international supply chains.

Bangladesh's participation in the festival is seen not merely as attending an exhibition but as a strategic step to build a long-term presence for Bangladeshi farm products in the Chinese market, form new trade relationships and open new horizons for exports.

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