Farmers are expected to produce over 22,000 tonnes of highly fleshy,
fibreless and tasty local variety Haribhanga mangoes worth over Taka
175 crore in four upazilas of the district this season, officials and
experts said. Horticulture specialist of the Department of
Agriculture Extension (DAE) Khandker Md Mesbahul Islam said
cultivation of Haribhanga mangoes expands every year bringing
self-reliance to hundreds of rural people here in recent years.
“Some 6,000 farmers and commoners have cultivated the mangoes in 4,000
small, medium and big orchards and homesteads on 5,500 hectares this
season after producing 20,000 tonnes of the fruit last year in the
district,” he added.
The mangoes are largely being cultivated commercially in the orchards
in Podaganj, Khoragach Purbopara, Khoragach Paschimpara, Ruposhi,
Zarullapur, Rangatipara, Bangaon, Chaker Pather, Paikarerhat,
Rukniganj, Siraj, Tekani, Moyenpur, Kadamtola, Lalpukur, Shukurerhat,
Sikarpur, Fulchowki, Tilakpara, Kashimpur, Ucha Balua, Matherhat and
other villages in Mithapukur upazila.
Besides, the tasty mangoes are being cultivated in Kutubpur, Arunnesa,
Nataram, Rustamabad, Nagerhat, Chowpothirhat, Kanchabari, Gopalpur,
Baroghoria, Airamri, and Mandalpara under Badarganj upazila,
Kantabari, Palichora, Ramjiban under Sadar upazila and many other
villages under Pirganj upazila.
Harvest of Haribhanga mango began in the second week of June and it
will continue till end of July when its per kg price would rise up to
Taka 300 in place of only Taka 70 to 80 per kg present price in the
local markets, farmers and market sources said.
Successful farmers Mahbubul Alam, Sukur Ali, Abdus Salam, Jahangir
Hossain, Bablu Master and Nur Islam said they have achieved complete
economic self-reliance through successful farming the highly
profitable mangoes in recent years.
Predicting a bumper production of the mangoes, deputy director of the
DAE Feroz Ahmed said that its cultivation on a commercial basis has
become very popular during the past 15 years.
Additional director of the DAE Sekendar Ali said agriculture officials
and experts have been disseminating latest technologies among the
growers for better agronomical managements to further boosting
cultivation of Haribhanga mangoes.
(BSS, Rangpur)
