RAJSHAHI, May 21: A syndicate becomes active in the district to take advantage of this years poor mango yielding.
According to sources at Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), though budding started lately, the mango production will not decrease; mangoes have grown big in size.
Agriculture researchers said, this year some buds, green mangoes dropped down, but it is normal; every year some buds and mangoes usually drop.
After dropping, the remaining ones were properly nurtured.
According to growers, this years flowering was poor; in the beginning of the season, buds dropped down due to rough weather.
If profit is made, the mango price will go up, they added.
They further said, their nurturing cost has increased their total cultivation costs.
According to sources at the DAE-Rajshahi, this years mango farming stands at 93,266 hectares of land in Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, and Natore; the production target has been fixed at about 12.5 lakh metric tons (MT).
In the last year, the mango production in Rajshahi was 2,60,006 MT from 19,578 ha of mango gardens;
This year, the mango production target has been fixed at 2,60,315 MT from 19,602 ha of gardens.
Anwarul Haq, president of Rajshahi-Chapai Food Agro Producers, said, "We have started to lift mangoes within the fixed time by the administration; on May 15 mangoes were lifted in a limited scale; mangoes will take more time to ripe; mango bazaars will pick up with Gopalbhog and Himsagar."
A fruit trader at Sahebbazar in the city Kamrul Islam said, the mango lifting has just begun with Guti species; but people don want to eat such mangoes much; that is why, mangoes are not arriving in bazaars; with Gopalbhog and Himsagar, bazaars will get momentum; and then mango prices will be fixed.
Much mangoes were not seen at Baneshwar Haat, the biggest mango haat in Puthia Upazila; only few traders were selling mangoes, but prices were higher.
A mango seller at the haat from Charghat Upazila Jahurul Islam said, in the last year, Guti mangoes were selling at Tk 20-30 per kilogram (KG); this year these mangoes are selling at Tk 50 per kg; and in this account, per maund mango price stands at Tk 2,000.
On May 19, mango lifting time was fixed by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shamim Ahmed at a meeting with garden owners; the meeting was held in the DC office conference room.
After discussing with agriculture officials, mango growers, traders and transport owners, Mango Calendar was published to ensure safe, poison-free and matured mangoes. The matter of mango price was raised at the meeting.
Guti mango lifting began on May 15. Lifting of Gopalbhog, Rani Pochhanda and Lakkhanbhog will begin from May 25, Khirsapat from May 30, Lengra and Banana from June 10, Amrupali and Fazli from June 15, BARI Mango-4 from July 5, Ashwina from July 10, Gourmoti from July 15, and Ilamoti from August 20.
Besides, Katimon and BARI-11 can be collected for the whole year.
DC Shameem Ahmed said, "Rajshahi is known for mango; we will try to ensure no unscrupulous trader can hike mango prices; several teams will work for this."
