<i>Growers eye a bumper mango production</i>
Growers and agriculture officials are eyeing a bumper production of mango in Chapainawabganj this season as favourable weather conditions have helped large-scale flowering of the mango trees and smooth growth of the delicious summer fruit. If the helpful weather continues, around two lakh tonnes of mango will be produced in the famous mango-producing district although 1.72 lakh tonnes of mango was produced in the district last year, said officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE). Dr Shafiqul Islam, chief scientific officer of Regional Horticulture Research Station, said there would be a bumper production of mango this year if there is no prolonged draught, storm or foggy weather. According to the traditional yielding nature, mango trees flower and bear fruits in abundance in alternative years and this year would be considered an 'off year' in view of last year's good production. "But this nature of the trees has changed as the farmers are now more conscious and they take timely measures for flowering. So trees can now bear the fruit in abundance regularly," Shafiqul Islam said. "As about 70 percent mango trees flowered and borne fruits in good amounts, bumper production is expected if the weather continues to remain favourable," Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman, deputy director of Chapainawabganj DAE, said. Mango growers who started taking good care of the mango trees from December last year are now spraying pesticides on the trees for protection of the fruit. "If the ideal weather continues, it will lead to bumper production and we hope a good earning this season," said Abul Kashem, a mango grower of Nayalavanga village of Shibganj upazila. Sources at DAE, Chapainawabganj office said there are 18 lakh 87 thousand and 806 mango trees on 23,700 hectares of land in the district where Shibganj upazila alone has 10 lakh 12 thousand and 855 mango trees on 12,785 hectares of land. Chapainawabganj, known as the 'mango capital' of Bangladesh, has a long tradition of producing at least 150 varieties of high quality tasty mangoes including fazli, langra, gopalbhog, khirshapat, khirshabhog, lakhna, bombai, mohananda, mohanbhog and ashwina. Farmers are cultivating different varieties of mango on more areas of lands in the district following repeated bumper production, DAE officials said. The district produces mango worth Tk 2,500 to 3,000 crore every year, said Abdul Wahed, president of Chapainawabganj Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Mango cultivation is a profitable venture also in a few other districts of the north-western region. A large number of people are employed for nursing of the mango trees, harvesting the fruit and packing and transporting it to different areas of the country during the mango season every year.
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