When the area for mango production is expanding in all six upazilas of Jhenaidah every year, the production is likely to be hampered as the tender mangoes have been falling off from the trees for want of rainfall for a long time.
Officials Jhenaidah Departments of Agricultural Extension (DAE) have been advising the farmers to stock water around the fruit bearing mango trees to stop the young mangoes from falling.
Farmer Rajkumar Joarder of Ananta Badalsho village of Shailkupa upazila in Jhenaidah said he witnessed huge bearing of mango on his trees when the mango buds started blooming. But huge quantity of the young mangoes has been falling off from the branches. If the situation continues for few more days, most of his trees will become fruitless, Rajkumar added.
Farmer Abul Kashen of Kotchandpur upazila when contacted said the number of bearing in his mini orchard was very impressive a few days back. But huge amount of the fruits are falling everyday as they did not see any rainfall for a long. To save the fruits, they have been storing water with deep tube wells. The tube wells can not meet the demand of the trees as the water level also went downward due to severe drought.
According to local DAE officials, the farmers produced above 37,902 tonnes of mango on a total of 2,882 hectors of land in the last season.
The area of mango farming was 595 hectors in Jhenaidah Sadar, 385 hectors in Kaliganj, 720 hectors in Kotchandpur, 510 hectors in Moheshpur, 420 hectors in Shailkupa and 262 hectors in Harinakundu upapzila.
As the farmers have been reaping better from the fruit, they have been expanding the orchards or transplanting the plants on domestic lands. They are of operation might exceed 3,000 hectares this season and the production might be increased i the season, sources said.
DAE deputy director in Jhenaidah Asgar Ali when contacted admitted the drought like climate and said usually the balls fall from the trees before mature stage. Moreover the trend of bearing in the orchards was very much impressive. He said the skill and efficient farmers of the district always consider their interest and expand the area of mango farming. A little quantity of quality mango was exported to foreign countries tow years back. The area might exceed 3,000 hectares in the current season.
Asgar Ali said they could not record any rainfall in last six months which helps prevailing drought like environment for a long. The mango orchards are not out of the situation. The fieled level DAE officials have been advising the farmers to take care of the plants. They are advising to store water around the plants which might help remove the dryness.
Deputy Director said the fruits might be saved if the rainfall was available within a few days. Te farmers will benefit from the fruits in the current season also, he said.