Around 11.5 lakh tonnes mangoes were produced from around 93,000 hectares of land in the northern region consisting of Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon and Natore districts this year marketing worth around Taka 7,500 crore.
In the last stage of around three-month brisk business of the seasonal fruit, plenty of trading were also seen in different famous markets, including Baneswar in Rajshahi, Sapaher in Naogaon, and Kansat in Chapainawabganj, on Wednesday.
In Baneswar Bazar, Amrapali mangoes were being sold at Taka 2,800 per maund followed by Fazley at Taka 1,800 and BARI-4 at Taka 1,500 on the same day.
On the other hand, amrapali mangoes were seen selling at Taka 200 to 500 based on quality and size in the markets of Chapainawabganj, Naogaon and Natore districts compared to Rajshahi.
Mozder Hossain, Deputy Director of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), said around 2.58 lakh tonnes of mangoes were produced from 19,578 hectares of land in the Rajshahi district this season.
Mukul Ali, a mango grower, said he’s happy with the present market price in the last time of the season, adding this year’s yield is better compared to the previous couple of years.
DAE Additional Director Shamsul Wadud said record quantities of mangoes were harvested in the region this year making the growers, traders and other concerned happy.
For the first time, 2,500 tonnes of mangoes were exported to different foreign markets from the region.
Shamsul Wadud said a silent revolution has happened in both farming and yield of mango in the region, including its vast Barind tract for the last couple of years, vibrating the local economy.
Farmers expressed views that Ultra High Density Mango Planting (UHDMP) is being used widely in mango farming and this method can enhance agro-water productivity along with reducing groundwater extraction and increasing farmers’ income in the water-stressed Barind area.
Witnessing the success many more people, particularly the grassroots farmers and entrepreneurs, are adopting the method and making profit.
“I’m very much happy and inspired by the modern farming method as it gives us more money compared to many other conventional crops and systems,” said Shahin Akter, 30 of Sherpur village under Gomostapur Upazila.
Ziarul Islam, 38, has become a promising farmer in his Chabbishnagar village of Godagari upazila as he has earned around Taka 1.35 lakh after selling mangoes of 160 trees.
Around 10,800 farmers also have attained economic emancipation by adopting the UHDMP method that has brought a remarkable change in the area for the last couple of years.
Farmer Rafikul Islam said the modern farming system has brought a new dimension to the local economy apart from diversifying the cropping pattern in the region as the growers are getting additional income after the best uses of the method in Rajshahi region.
DASCOH Foundation and Syngenta Foundation are jointly implementing a project named IWET supported by the 2030 Water Resources Group and sponsored by the Coca-Cola Foundation benefiting 15,500 mango farmers directly, while 50,000 others indirectly since 2018.
The project is being implemented in Tanore and Godagari upazilas in Rajshahi, Nachole and Gomostapur upazilas in Chapainawabganj and Mohadebpur, Badalgachi, Porsha and Sapahar upazilas in Naogaon districts.
With intervention of the scheme, 10,800 farmers, including 6,800 using UHDMP method and 4,000 using Adoption of Alternate Drying and Wetting (AWD) and drip irrigation technology were given training.
Project Manager Shohidul Islam told BSS that 130 demonstration plots and UHDMP orchards on 26,706 hectares of land have been developed in the project during the last five years.
Besides, 60 acres of land have been brought under intercropping with the seasonal vegetables, including Brinjal, cucumber, gourd, green chili, lentil, cauliflower, cabbage and tomato, in UHDMP orchard.
As a whole, the project is intended to achieve significant farm productivity in a sustainable manner by introducing efficient irrigation and other relevant technologies and management practices.
Shohidul Islam said the critical components of UHDMP technology are the management of inputs related to irrigation and fertiliser and the canopy management. These two inputs are provided through drip irrigation systems.
Pruning is a very essential and critical operation of UHDP to maintain fruiting shoots and to contain its canopy, he said, adding that it must be done soon after harvest, preferably before 15 June. (BSS)