The first mango consignment produced under 'Contract Farming' was exported to England and France from Bagha on Tuesday. A total of two metric tonnes of Khirsapat variety of mango has been exported under the initiative of the Square Industrial Group.
Bagha Upazila Agriculture Office sources said a total of 21 mango farmers of Bagha signed a contract with the Exporting Companies to send quality and safe mangoes abroad. Under the contract, mangoes have been cultivated under 'the Best Agriculture Practices' which ensures a healthy, secure, quality food value of mangoes with the preservation of the environment, cleanliness and the health of agriculture labourers.
Under the contract and the management, mangoes from Bagha are being exported abroad since 2016.
At the first export consignment, Sadi Enterprise belonged to farmer Shafiqul Islam of Koligram village of the area is sending 1,800 Kgs of mango and another farmer Biddut Hossain is sending 200 Kgs of mango abroad for the first time in the season. Farmer Shafiqul Islam said they exported 34 metric tonnes of mango last year.
Nazmul Hossain, Representative of the Exporting Enterprise Square said that he loaded two tonnes of mangoes on the vehicle, one tonne each for France and London, on the first day (on Tuesday) of the season.
Shafiullah Sultan, Bagha Upazila Agriculture Officer said, Upazila Agriculture Office (UAO) issues a certificate after watching the quality of mango produced under the Best Agriculture Practices. Later, another certificate will be issued from Shyampur Packing House and Quarantine Centre in Dhaka before exporting the mangoes abroad. UAO was imparting training and assisting the mango farmers to produce export-quality mangoes for years, he added.
