Export of mandarin in the last season (2017-2018) dropped drastically compared to the previous year.

Bhutanese exporters were able to export 6396.38MT of oranges worth more than USD 2.5 million (M) to Bangladesh, figures with Bhutan Exporters Association (BEA) show.

This is one of the lowest mandarin export figures for Bhutan in the last decade and is only lower than 2015 export season, when Bhutan exported about 4.535.35MT worth USD 2.08M.

In the previous season (2016-2017), Bhutan exported about 23,482MT of oranges to Bangladesh worth USD 10.14M.

In Phuentsholing, the country’s largest orange depot located at the Amochhu embankment, exporters were able to export 2,085.15MT of oranges this season worth USD 973,197.

The export season also started about 10 days later with only seven exporters at the Amochhu depot. By mid December 2017, it was evident that the orange depots at the Amochhu were receiving less supply of oranges—despite the market doing well.

From the seven exporters at Amochhu, Druk Phuensum Export and Import House exported 841.41MT, the highest among the exporters, followed by Peling Export that exported 478.09MT.

Pelden Export exported 443.65MT of oranges, while Manu Export was able to export about 56MT, the lowest last season.

Rajesh Rai | Phuentsholing