A partial view of the mini cold storage set up in Bagha upazila of Rajshahi — FE Photo RAJSHAHI, Aug 03: The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set up a mini cold storage with a capacity of 10 tonnes for the preservation of mangoes in Bagha upazila of Rajshahi.
The cold storage has been set up on the land of Shafiqul Islam, a local big mango grower, under the Rajshahi Division's Agricultural Development Project through the extension of modern technology.
It is learnt, due to the ongoing nationwide unrest centring the students' job quota movement, sale of mangoes from Shafiqul's garden witnessed a drastic fall.
As a result, he stored nine tonnes of Amrapali, Lockna, Fazli and Arajam varieties of mangoes in this cold store for the first time from July 6.
After 17 days, the mangoes were taken out from the cold storage and found just as good as before. Now he is selling these mangoes at a good price.
Shafiqul Islam's house is in Kaligram under Bagha upazila of Rajshahi. He and his brother Asaf Ud Daula have a company named 'Sadi Enterprise' in Pakuria Bazar of the upazila. They are the biggest mango producers in Bagha.
Shafiqul Islam said that for the first time on July 6, nine tonnes of Amrapali, Lockna, Fazli and Arajam varieties of mangoes were stored in this cold storage and were taken out on July 28 and sent to Dhaka.
When mangoes are stored in the refrigerator, the outer skin loses the genuine colour. But there was no damage to the mangoes in the cold storage.
Project officials said that a packaging centre has been set up next to the cold storage from the exportable mango production project.
The mangoes taken out from the cold storage are being packaged and sent to different parts of the country after a check there.
Saadi Enterprises has been exporting mangoes since 2015. So far the company has exported more than 200 tonnes of mangoes to Europe. Four tonnes of mangoes have been exported this year.
Shafiullah Sultan, Bagha upazila agriculture officer, said Sadi Enterprise is a big mango producer and exporter in Rajshahi. The DAE has constructed this cold storage facility on their land to facilitate mango export.
SM Aminuzzaman, sub-project director of cold storage project, said that 11 mini cold storages have been constructed in Rajshahi division.
Out of them, three cold storages including the one in Bagha upazila have started operation.
Apart from this, two tonnes of mangoes, one tonen of mangosteen and 13 tonnes of sugarcane molasses have been stored in another cold storage in Shibganj of Chapainawabganj. And carrots and tomatoes are kept in Puthia's cold storage. He also said that mangoes or other vegetables can be safely stored in these cold storages for 20 to 25 days.
About Tk 2.7 million (Tk 27 lakh) has been spent for the construction of each cold storage and farmer gave the land.
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