The Myanmar Fruit and Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association has announced that the country commenced exporting shipments of mangoes and watermelons to Singapore for the first time last week.
“Singapore has accepted mangoes from Myanmar,” a director of Myanmar Golden Produce Company, which was responsible for the shipment, told Myanmar news site Eleven. “Now, we have sent three tonnes of mango. More will be exported depending on our capacity. We aim to export mangoes until the season ends.”
The Myanmar Fruit and Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association’s chairman, Soe Than Min Din, outlined their progression to sending produce to Singapore after on the back of established trade links with China.
“Seedless watermelons have been traded to China through the border for five years. We earlier attempted to export them with air shipment, but failed to do so due to the fruits’ weight. Now, we have started sea shipments to Singapore,” he told Eleven. “This is more profitable than trading watermelons through the border.”
Myanmar began seeking to expand into new export markets beyond China around three years ago. Thus far it has targeted Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand for its produce, as well as participating in a number of international fruit festivals globally.
