<i>Mangoes may be dearer because of poor yield</i>
Orchards in Chapainawabganj see smaller sizes and number of the fruit as the persistent draught-like situation has badly affected its yield in the district famous for high quality tasty varieties of the popular summer fruit.Photo: STAR
Tasty varieties of mango could become dearer this season as Chapainawabganj, the country's highest mango producing district, is likely to see 40 percent less yield than the target due to adverse weather, said growers and traders. The district, well-known for tasty varieties of mangoes, produced 1,85,000 tonnes of the delicious summer fruit last year. Earlier this season the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) fixed a target of two lakh tonnes of mango production in the district as this an 'on year'. But according to the latest predictions, the fruit yield in the country's 'mango capital' will be 65,000 tonnes less than last year's due to unfavourable weather, said DAE officials, mango experts and growers. According to the DAE, there are over 18 lakh mango trees on 23,280 hectares of land in the district. Three times hailstorms in last two months damaged at least 1,852 tonnes of mangoes on 645 hectares of land in Shibganj, Nachole and Gomostapur upazilas of the district, DAE sources said. Mango orchard owner Israil Hossain of Chapaianwabganj municipal area said the production of mango will be 40 percent less than the expectation due to prevailing drought-like situation in the district. Abul Kashem of Nayalavanga village, who leased a mango orchard in his village, said he earned a good profit by selling mangoes grown in 120 trees last year. But this year the prospect seems bleak. The varieties grown in the district have high demand in capital Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet and other areas of the country. The traders have set up markets at Puraton Bazar in Chapainawabganj town, Kansat Bazar in Shibganj upazila and Rohonpur Bazar in Gomostapur upazila to procure and sell the popular fruit. But the production fall may push up the price and the high quality varieties may remain out of reach of common people this season, farmers and traders said. Chief Scientific Officer of Regional Horticulture Research Centre, Chapainawabganj (earlier name Mango Research Centre), Dr Shafiqul Islam said mango production this season will be less than usual as yield is suffering due to want of rainfall. Chapainawabganj DAE office recorded only 113.8 mm rainfall in this season. The district 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. But fertilisation process this season was badly affected as temperature dropped before flowering and went high suddenly after flowering, said Dr Azizur Rahman, upazila agriculture officer of Sadar upazila DAE office. Dry weather condition and zero moisture in soil due to less rainfall led to production fall in this session, he 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. Farmers are being encouraged to cultivate different varieties of mango on more areas of lands in the district following repeated bumper production but this year the prospect is bleak, DAE officials said. Ripe mangoes will be available in the district in mid June, said farmers and agriculture officials.
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