The Ministry of Agriculture has urged Biman Bangladesh Airlines to substantially reduce air freight charges for mango exports after exporters secured a confirmed order for 100 tonnes of fresh mangoes from Malaysia, reports Daily Sun.
Officials said the ministry has requested a reduction of around 50% in freight charges on the Malaysia route, arguing that lower transport costs would make Bangladeshi mangoes more competitive and encourage exporters to ship larger volumes during the peak season.
A senior official of the agriculture ministry told the Daily Sun that Malaysia is the country’s immediate priority market, with efforts later to focus on reducing freight costs for exports to the UK and other European destinations.
“We have requested Biman to reduce the freight charge significantly. We are not proposing a specific rate, but we expect a reduction of around 50 per cent to support exporters,” the official said.
Bangladesh is set to export fresh mangoes to Malaysia for the first time this season.
Ministry sources said exporters have already secured orders for about 100 tonnes, while efforts are continuing to expand shipments to Europe.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Bangladesh had exported around 1,075 tonnes of mangoes by Tuesday.
“There is still around one and a half months left in the export season. It is difficult to estimate the final export volume because everything depends on buyers’ demand. We are trying to export as much as possible,” said Mohammad Arifur Rahman, director of the DAE’s Exportable Mango Production Project.
He said high freight costs were not the only obstacle.
“The bigger problem now is cargo space. Even if exporters are willing to pay the freight charge, sufficient space on flights is not always available,” he said.
Ansar Ali, a Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)-certified mango farmer and exporter from Dinajpur, said he hopes to export five tonnes of Banana mangoes to London at around £8 per kilogram.
“Air freight from Bangladesh now costs around Tk580 per kilogram. Together with transport from orchards and other expenses, the cost becomes very high. In comparison, freight charges from Pakistan are around Tk300-350 per kilogram,” he said.
Razia Sultana, owner of Global Trade Link, said freight charges on Europe-bound flights have risen from around Tk390-400 per kg to about Tk590 per kg, with Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Thai Airways all increasing their rates.
“It is often seen that Biman raises rates first and foreign carriers follow. If Biman reduced its charges with government support, other airlines would be compelled to do the same,” she said.
She added that although mango production and export-quality fruit have increased significantly, exports continue to be constrained by high freight costs and inadequate cargo space.
Bangladesh exported 2,194 tonnes of mangoes to 38 countries last year. Official data show exports have fluctuated sharply in recent years, despite annual production consistently exceeding 2.5 million tonnes.
Bd-pratidin English/ ANI
