Russia wants to import mango from Bangladesh

Russia has expressed its interest to buy mangoes from Bangladesh, the agriculture ministry said today.

Russian Ambassador to Dhaka Alexander Vikentyevich Mantytskiy showed the interest at a meeting with Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque at the latter's office at the Secretariat, the ministry said in a press release.

In the meeting, Mantitsky said the mangoes of Bangladesh are very tasty and of high quality.

"There is huge potential for mango export to Russia. Russia is interested in taking mangoes," he said.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), 25 lakh tonnes of mangoes have been produced on two lakh hectares of land this season in Bangladesh, the world's seventh largest mango producing country.

Last season, 24.68 lakh tonnes of mangoes were grown on 1.9 lakh hectares of land.

Exporters shipped 791 tonnes of mango in fiscal 2020-21.

Meanwhile, the agriculture minister said Bangladesh wants to import diammonium phosphate (DAP) and potassium fertilisers from Russia on government-to-government basis.

He said farmers in the country are being encouraged to use DAP fertiliser.

The use of DAP fertiliser is increasing day by day in Bangladesh, as the present government has reduced its price from Tk 90 to Tk 18 a kg, he said.

"We want to import DAP and potassium from Russia and sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard."

Bangladesh has been importing MOP fertiliser from Russia on G2G basis since 2013 and there is an MoU between the two countries in this regard.

Besides, the agriculture minister requested to reconsider the import of potatoes from Bangladesh to Russia.

He said the Bangladesh government has taken many steps to make potatoes bactericidal and safe.

"Many high-quality potatoes are being produced in the country now. Russia may resume potato imports," he said.

Meanwhile, Russia has imposed a ban on the export of potatoes from Bangladesh since 2014 due to the presence of brown rot disease in potatoes.

The Russian ambassador, however, said that they will take the necessary steps to import potatoes.