US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen toured one of the country’s largest mango markets in Rajshahi on Tuesday, sampling local varieties and urging improvements to cold storage infrastructure to support year-round storage and higher exports.

Christensen walked through the Baneshwar market in Puthia upazila, speaking with farmers and traders and tasting regional mangoes, on his first visit to Rajshahi as ambassador.

The ambassador inquired about different mango varieties and sampled several locally grown fruits. Traders and farmers briefed him on cultivation practices, market trends and the growing demand for Rajshahi mangoes at home and abroad.

Christensen stressed that Bangladesh could expand mango exports if cold storage facilities were improved, saying the move could help expand the market throughout the year.

“This is my first visit to Rajshahi as the US ambassador. I visited once before in 2020, but this time I wanted to come specifically during mango season to experience Rajshahi's famous mangoes,” he told journalists.

“There’s no substitute for seeing and tasting a product where it is grown. That’s where you find the freshest, most diverse and best produce,” he added.

Referring to Bangladesh’s mango export prospects, the ambassador said mangoes are popular among American consumers, although they are often sold in frozen form and commonly used in beverages and processed food products.

“While mangoes are available in the United States, finding fruit as fresh as what’s available here in Rajshahi is difficult,” he remarked.

Local traders welcomed the visit, saying they hoped it would bring greater international recognition to Rajshahi mangoes. Farmers said the region’s produce already had global renown for quality and taste, and that visits by foreign diplomats would boost the prospects for agricultural exports.

The ambassador was accompanied by US Embassy’s Political Counsellor Eric Gillan, Political Officer Charles Besnard and other senior embassy officials.