The ‘Mango Special Train’ launched for the first time on the Chapainawabgonj-Dhaka railway route via Rajshahi early this month has started gaining popularity with massive response from the mango growers and traders, reports BSS.
Since its initial day, the amount of mango transportation and revenue earning is gradually increasing as the service receivers are getting better, quality and smooth services despite the adverse impact of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
“We have launched the special train with 10.02 tonnes of mango on April 5 last and the figure stood to 36.31 tonnes with only eleven days gap on June 16,” said Fuad Hossain Akanda, Divisional Commercial Officer of the West Zone of Bangladesh Railway, while talking to BSS on Tuesday.
A total of 225.55 tonnes of mango were transported to Dhaka from this region and revenue worth around Taka 2.19 lakh were earned from the mango transportation till Tuesday last.
Mainly, the mangoes are being loaded in the stations of Chapainawabgonj, Amnura Bypass, Kakanhat, Rajshahi, Sardaha Road, Arani and Abdulpur for transporting to the capital Dhaka daily.
Following the directives and desires of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the West Zone of Bangladesh Railway has launched the venture of transporting mangoes at a lower cost for welfare of the mango traders and farmers amid the Covid-19 pandemic situation.
The cargo train is carrying a maximum 225 tonnes of mangoes in six wagons every day. So, farmers and traders can transport goods at their will. It costs Tk 1.17 to carry a kilogram of mango to Dhaka from Rajshahi. And it is Tk 1.30 from Chapainawabganj to Dhaka.
The train makes a stoppage for loading mangoes at 14 stations on the Chapainawabgonj-Dhaka railway route via Rajshahi.
“We are very much happy and satisfied after availing the scope of transporting mango to Dhaka through special parcel train for the first time in the region,” said Anwarul Haque, President of Rajshahi Agro Food Producer Society, adding over 100 growers and traders are availing the opportunity at present.
He has already transported five tonnes of mango to Dhaka since the service began and is expected to transport another 20 tonnes in the days to come.
Anwar Haque, who has mango orchards on around 50 bigha of lands, terms the mango transportation through the cargo train as smooth, quickly, no trouble and wastage problem.
“I’m very much optimistic about raising the number of service-recipients of the cargo train in the years to come,” he added.
Mihir Kanti Guha, General Manager of the west zone railway, said parcel fare has been reduced 25 percent since May 18 so that farmers and traders can transport mangoes easily. Not only mangoes, the traders and growers can transport vegetables and other seasonal fruits as well, he added.
The railway porters conduct all sorts of the loading and unloading works of the goods. To this end, the porters were imparted need-based training on how to handle the goods from booking to loading as well to unloading properly and sincerely.
Meanwhile, following the directives of the prime minister, the post and telecommunication ministry has arranged a truck of the postal department to transport mangoes to Dhaka free of cost.
Bangladesh Postal Department under its ‘farmers-friendly postal services’ programme transports the mangoes of marginal and small farmers and traders.
Sudhendra Nath Roy, additional director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), said there are more than 2.60 lakh mango growers and orchard owners in the region comprising Rajshahi, Chapainawabgonj, Natore and Naogaon districts.
Around 1.30 lakh people are engaged in various activities related to mango harvesting, segregating, packaging, transporting and marketing.
He added that the DAE has set a target of harvesting around ten lakh tonnes of mangoes from 80,360 hectares of land in the region this season while last year’s production was 8,31,940 tonnes from 72,909 hectares of land.
