Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque on Thursday said mangoes will soon be one of the major sources of foreign exchange earnings as mangoes are being produced in the country in advanced methods following good agricultural practices.
“Mango exports have increased a lot this year. We are trying to diversify our export earnings instead of relying solely on garments. We will earn a huge amount of foreign currency by exporting various agricultural products, including mangoes and vegetables,” the minister said while visiting mango orchards and exchanging views with farmers in Nachol upazila of Chapainawabganj.
He said in addition to fresh mangoes, various food items made from the fruit, including mango jelly and pulp, will also be exported.
The minister also said the government is working to build mango storage houses and give mango farmers low-interest loans.
Entrepreneur Rafiqul Islam established the orchard with multiple varieties of mangoes on around 300 bighas of land at Kendua village.
With Agriculture Secretary Wahida Akter in the chair, the meeting was addressed, among others, by Abdul Wadud, MP, DAE Director General Badal Chandra Biswash, Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council Dr Sheikh Boktiar and Director General of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Dr Shahjahan Kabir.
