50 tonnes mango to be exported from Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI, May 21 (BSS): Varieties of mango produced in Rajshahi have been exporting to different European countries over the last couple of years.

This year also, the amount of exportable quality mango is expected to be around 100 tonnes. Of those, at least 50 tonnes are likely to be exported with arrangement of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).

To achieve the target, around 50,000 mangoes are being fruit bagged after the best uses of modern technologies in the district at present. Apart from, best qualities mangoes are being produced for exporting to foreign countries.

Last year, export of the fruit bagged mangoes has been reduced to some extent due to various complexities. But, this time the growers and DAE officials are very much hopeful in this regard.

"We have to comply 26 conditions in terms of exporting mango and bagging is one of those," said Dr Alim Uddin, Principal Scientific Officer of Fruit Research Station, while talking to the news agency on Monday. Quarantine test is mandatory in this regard, he added.

He says 14 businessmen exported 25 tonnes mango last year while 30 tonnes in 2017. The success has been achieved by dint of promoting best hygiene practice and other modern technologies in some mango orchards commercially in the district last year for the first time yielding more than 50 tonnes of exportable and safe mangoes.

Agriculturist Alim Uddin said mango farming in fruit-bagging method has gradually been increasing here for the last couple of years. If the mango was cultivated through this method there is no need of pesticide use to prevent fruit-fly. As a result, mango remained in poison-free condition.

He said many farmers and value chain actors got the necessary training on best agricultural practices and with that they started exploring the high value export markets.

Ashrafuddola, a mango farmer of Kaligram village under Bagha upazila, said he started using fruit-bagging technology since last year and got better yield and market price than conventional system. Bagged mangoes are protected from insects like fruit-flies.

Abdur Razzak is a successful mango farmer from Sapahar upazila in Naogaon.

Last year, after using fruit bagging in around seven acres of land, his sales shot up, and he applied the technique in 14 acres of farming land this year.

According to Razzak, fruit bagging should be used to protect mangoes from insecticides, insects and adverse weather.