Rajshahi Correspondent:

Many mangoes are popping up on the trees in Rajshahi. Mango farmers and traders are hoping for a bumper mango harvest this time. According to the Agriculture Department, the market price of mangoes produced in the Rajshahi region this time has been estimated at around 11,147 crore 24 lakh taka. Currently, garden owners are spending a busy time in the gardens around mango production.

Alam, a resident of Bulanpur Basri area of ​​Rajshahi city, said about mangoes this time, there are a lot of mangoes in the garden this time. Mango trees of various species including Himsagar, Langra, Amrapali are full of trees. But Langra mangoes are more susceptible to hopper insect attack. He said that there will be a bumper mango harvest of other species except Langra. Last year, the price of mangoes was not good. This time, he is hoping for a good price for mangoes. But he is worried that the price may be lower due to the bumper harvest.

After the rains in the last part of Chaitra in Rajshahi, nature has now taken on a new look. Known as the 'mango capital' of the country, Rajshahi is now full of mangoes. At the beginning of the new season, golden dreams have awakened in the minds of farmers. In the favorable weather of sunshine and rain, the buds on the mango trees have grown into large mangoes. Mangoes have created a beautiful scene in the gaps between the green leaves. After rice, mangoes are now the most reliable crop for the farmers of this region.

The target for mango production in the Rajshahi region for the current season has been set at 11 lakh 98 thousand 68 metric tons. According to the information of the divisional office of the Department of Agricultural Extension, its potential market value has been estimated at around 11 thousand 147 crore 24 lakh taka.

Meanwhile, farmers are now spending a busy time in the gardens surrounding mango production. Some are irrigating, while others are spraying to control insects and diseases. According to the farmers, pesticides have to be applied at least 6 to 7 times in three months to get a good quality yield.

Farmer Sirajul Haque of Koyra village in Paba upazila of Rajshahi said that if the weather is favorable and there is no major natural disaster, the yield will be good this year. Mangoes have come from almost all the trees, which is promising compared to recent years.

A lot of mangoes have come from Naogaon, a neighboring district of Rajshahi. Md. Moniruzzaman Toki, an official of the Naogaon Sapahar Upazila Agricultural Extension Office, said that this time the combination of sunshine and rain has created a favorable environment for mango cultivation, as a result, diseases are comparatively less. If this trend continues, there is a possibility of a bumper yield. However, some diseases may increase during the monsoon season.

He also said that mangoes are being cultivated on 9,280 hectares of land in Sapahar upazila, where the production target has been set at 1 lakh 40 thousand metric tons.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, one of the main mango production regions of the country has been formed with these four districts - Rajshahi, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj and Natore. Different varieties of mangoes including Amrapali, Kshirsapat, Haribhanga, Langra, Gopalbhog, Katimon, Fazli and Bari-4 are cultivated here.

In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, mangoes worth about Tk 400 million 89 lakh were exported to Germany, England, Sweden, Italy, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Canada. The average price of a kilogram of mango was Tk 93.

According to statistics, the total mango production in these four districts in the 2023-2024 fiscal year was 10,28,845 metric tons. In the next fiscal year, it increased to 1,202,095 metric tons. The target set for the 2025-2026 fiscal year is 1,198,068 metric tons.

According to this target, the total potential market price can be about Tk 11,147 crore 24 lakh at an average price of Tk 93 per kilogram.

Chief Scientific Officer of Rajshahi Fruit Research Center Dr. Md. Shafiqul Islam said that due to favorable weather and the care of farmers, there is a possibility of a good mango harvest this year. Overall, there is a good atmosphere of optimism surrounding the mango season in Rajshahi.