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Gopal Bhog, other varieties still not in market during mango time

Plucking of quality mango delayed in Rajshahi due to weather condition, low market demand


Published : 23 May 2019 05:19 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 10:25 AM

Even after the expiry of the date fixed for plucking mango of Gopal Bhog variety, the mango farmers in Rajshahi remain reluctant to pluck it because the mango still now remains green and non-suitable for plucking.

The farmers said that it would take one to two more weeks for complete growth and ripening of Gopal Bhog variety. As a result, mango markets in Rajshahi remains still dull.

The district administration in Rajshahi fixed May 20 for plucking Gopal Bhog. But, due to the fluctuation of day temperature and for a delayed flowering of mango during last winter, the mango did not get sufficient growth in due time.

Moreover, during this month of Ramadan, the fruit markets of the district are filled with many other varieties of fruits like banana, pine apple, wood apple, water melon, bangi, and litchi. The prices of those fruits are also reasonable. In addition to the supply of a huge quantity of local varieties of fruits, there are varieties of imported exotic fruits like Date, Apple, Pomegranate, grape and orange.

During the month of Ramadan, the appetite for fruits after breaking fast remained low as most of the people prefer to take some fried delicacy like Beguni, Ghoogni, Piaju, gram, muri etc. during their Iftar. As a result, the demand for fruit during the Ramadan remained ever low. Adding of mango with the existing, ample supply of other fruits will not benefit the mango growers, apprehended Hafizur Rahman Khan, a mango orchard owner in Rajshahi.

Hafizur Rahman Khan explained, during the month of Ramadan, the demand of mango remains very low. Moreover, aiming at the Ramadan market, there was a supply of a huge quantity of local and exotic varieties of fruits in all hats and markets of the district. As a result, the mango will get no room in the markets at present.

Another mango farmer Faridul Islam of the city informed, in accordance with the time frame imposed by the district administration, mango would be plucked from many trees. But, considering the market situation, most of mango orchard owners and farmers were preferring to keep those mangoes on trees from further one or two more weeks. In this connection, he said, by that time, the supply of local varieties of fruits will be waned and the market will be occupied by mango then.

Alal Uddin, a mango farmer of Kantakhali village, informed that there is a scarcity of labourers during this month of Ramadan. Moreover, it was the season of harvesting of paddy. Due to extreme heat and for fasting, labourers are reluctant to even reap paddy and for the same reason, they were not ready to pluck mango just now.

Dr. Alim Uddin, Principal Scientific Officer of Horticulture Research Institute in Rajshahi, said that the time frame enforced by the district administration for plucking mango was justified. Due to fluctuation of temperature, quality mangoes are yet to be ripened in the orchards of Rajshahi. Now, it depends of the farmers whether they will pluck mango or not. But, he opined, a delayed plucking of mango will make both mango farmers and the consumers benefitted.

According to the time frame imposed by district administration, the local variety of ‘guti’ mango will be plucked from May 15, quality Gopal Bhog from May 20, Rani Pasand from May 25, Khirsapat or Himsagar from May-28, Lakna from May-26, Langra from June-6, Amrapali and Fazli from June-16 and Ashina from July-17.

SM Abdul Kader, Deputy Commissioner, Rajshahi, in this connection informed, farmers would be able to pluck mango from trees in accordance with the date fixed for plucking those. But, if any variety of mango is ripened earlier than the fixed time frame, the farmer would pluck that in consultation with local administration.

Shamsul Haque, Deputy Director of Agriculture Extension Department of Rajshahi, said that a target of production of 218,000 metric tonnes of mango has been fixed in the district during the current season. He hoped, so far the weather condition of the district remained favourable and there will be no problem in achieving the production target in the district.