BSS, Rajshahi :
Mango, the highest juicy and delicious fruit of the summer season, has started appearing in the markets of Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts for last few days.
Some indigenous varieties along with Gopalbhog have appeared in the markets, but most consumers are frustrated with the high price. However, the consumers have to wait for some more couple of days to get all the varieties in full scale.
The popular summer fruit will be available in the local markets by mid of June abundantly when all the varieties will appear in the markets. Meanwhile, due to hot spell and prolonged drought, the growth of mango at the orchards of the two districts was hampered this year.
Though the early variety of mangoes started to appear in the markets, mango growers are apprehending loss in production to some extent due to bad weather like repeated storm and hailstorm.
At the wholesale markets of Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Baneswarhat, the early variety of ‘Guti’ mangoes are being sold at Taka 1,400 to 1,600 per maund.
The ‘guti’ mangoes are comparatively sour and less in taste and also short in size. With the ‘Guti’ mangoes, some best quality Gopalbhog magoes are also being sold in the markets.
Abdul Bari, a mango orchard owner in Godagari under Rajshahi, informed the Gopalbhog mangoes which are now in markets are all tainted with chemicals. He hoped Gopalbhog will appear the market abundantly within a few days. And afterwards, the Khirsapat and Langra mangoes will also appear.
In the wholesale markets of Rajshahi, Kantakhali and Baneswar, a maund (45 kilogramme) of Gopalbhog mango is being sold from Taka 2,400 to 2,800.
The hot spell during the time of flowering and maturing of mango hampered its growth as a result, the size of mangoes were not large as compared to mangoes of previous year and damage of mangoes were huge on the trees due to the adverse condition.
The agriculture department officials said harvest of the juicy fruit in this major mango hub is expected to come to nearly 0.45 million tonnes this year.
However, many owners of mango groves said, no rainfall for a long time, couple of nor’westers during the early May, high day temperature and drought like weather, shook off many green and matured mangoes.
Sources in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said the seasonal fruit was cultivated in the current season on around 10,000 hectares of fresh land in Rajshahi and 20,000 hectares in Chapainawabganj. Around 25 lakh mango trees are bearing the fruit this year.
According to the official of the DAE, the area boasts 250 varieties of mangoes which are attractive in color and unique in taste, juicy and sweet.
Like every year, people from across the country have started converging on Rajshahi city to buy quality juicy mangoes produced everywhere-in urban areas, too, though on a limited scale.
Mango grower Mubarak Hossain of Charghat upazila told, he had expected a huge profit this year from his mango orchard by watching mango flowers on his tree in early April but his hopes has been dashed by some couple of storms destroying almost 25 percent of his mangoes.
Principal Scientific Officer of Regional Horticulture Research Centre Dr Alim Uddin said this year farmers used pesticide of Cipher Methrin Group and Mancoze before budding in the tree. Powdery mildew, a pest was not seen this year for early use of those pesticides.
