The mangoes of Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj is unparallel in taste and flavor. This mango is supplied to various places within the country but is also exported to foreign countries. Mango lovers want to get its taste directly any how.
So the plucking of this famous mango variety is beginning from today the 1st of Jaishtha (May 15). The mango cultivators will remain busy for the next two month in plucking several varieties of mangoes.
To keep the mango chemical free the district administration of Rajshahi has made the time of plucking because the mango cultivators to make extra profit they plucked the immature mango earlier, mix chemicals for ripe. Those mangoes were hazardous for health. This alerted the administration which put ban on untimely plucking for the last three years. On last May 12 in a meeting the distinct administration made the directives to begin plucking from May 15.
According to the decision the orchard owners and businessmen will start plucking from Wednesday. However those are of ‘Guti’ variety. ‘Gopal Bhog’ plucking will begin from May 20. Plucking of different varieties will begin as follows:- Himsagar or Khirshapat on May 28, Lakhkhan Bhog on May 25 Langra 0n June 6, Amrapali on on June 16, Fazli and Surma Fazli on June 16 and Ashwina on July 1.
District Agriculture Extension department informed that mango was cultivated on 17465 hectares of land in Rajshahi. The target of mango production has been fixed at 213426 metric tons. However, a huge quantity of mango was damaged in the storm of May 13 night when the storm hit Bagha, Charghat, Mohonpur, Baneshwar and Puthia, unripe mangoes got damaged. It slapped losses to the mango farmers to the count of Taka 30 crore.
Chief Scientific Officer of Rajshahi Fruit Research Center, Dr. Alimuddin told Barta24.com that the budding of mangoes in this area had begun in the middle of bangla month Poush. The budding started blossoming in the middle of bangle month Magh. The quantity of budding was much more this year. Though some buds were damaged due to hailstorm and mild storms but the impact of cyclone Fani helped the mangoes to be healthy in size. So there is no doubt in achieving the target.
But the mango farmers are still in scare. Though the storm of May 13 night damaged some mangoes still they are afraid of getting good price in the market. As the plucking time begins on the same day the supply will naturally be abundant that will cause the price sliding down.
Mango farmer and business man of Manigram of Bagha upazilla Zillur Rahman said that the in the month of Jashtha the mangoes begins ripe gradually. Some get ripe early some in late. So the varieties starts coming to market in phases. But obeying the ban by the administration all the varieties reached the market at a time last year. However this will not happen this year it is expected.
Mango farmer Jasimuddin of Puthia said that if mangoes are plucked in mature condition then chemical does not require. However due to the vigilance of the administration every one plucks mature mangoes. However the farmers will not pluck in large scale before Eid ul Fitr, it is learnt.