Staff Reporter:
Some indigenous varieties have appeared in the markets as farmers and traders have started harvesting mangoes since Friday morning following the instruction of local administration.
Juicy and delicious mangoes have started appearing in the markets of Rajshahi city and its adjacent areas as its harvesting began since Friday morning following the instruction of local administration amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
A ban on mango harvesting and marketing had been imposed in the district till May 14 to give optimum time for natural ripening of the delicious seasonal fruit.District administration had taken the decision to prevent adulteration in mango ripening process using harmful chemicals.
According to the administrative decision, the farmers can pluck local varieties from May 15 while harvest of Gopal Bhog mangoes will commence on May 20 and Laxmanbhog, Laukhna and Ranipasand varieties will start on May 25.
The sweetest varieties of mango – like Khirsapat and Himsagar – will start hitting the markets on May 28, while Langra will begin on June 6. Harvest of Fazli and Amrapali will start on June 15. Ashwina and BARI Mango-4 varieties can be harvested from July 10.
Shamsul Haque, Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), told that most of the mangoes will mature and ripen within the stipulated time and then those could be harvested normally.
He said some of the indigenous varieties of mangoes have already ripened. But the other delicious and famous varieties- Gopalbhog, Khirshapat and Langra need some more days to ripen.
District administration is closely monitoring the harvesting of mangoes in addition to extending all necessary facilities to farmers and traders for harvesting and marketing of the seasonal fruit.
Deputy Commissioner Hamidul Haque urged all concerned to follow the time-frame of mango harvesting for the sake of public interests.Officials said mango has been cultivated on 26,150 hectares of areas in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts with an expected yield of 2,44,000 tons this year.
Mango groves were also nurtured on 12,671 hectares of land in Naogaon where the production target was set at 1,61,242 tons while Natore is expected to produce 56,021 tons of mangoes on 4,823 hectares.
