Remal wreaks havoc on mangoes in Rajshahi

Growers, traders suffer huge losses

OUR CORRESPONDENT | Published: May 28, 2024 21:56:43

RAJSHAHI, May 28: Cyclone Remal has caused huge damage for mangoes in Rajshahi region, leaving growers and traders in great trouble.
Just before the harvest of mangoes, the storm has dealt a big blow to the growers and the traders who will suffer huge losses this season.
Maunds of mangoes have fallen from trees to the ground due to the cyclone that lasted on Sunday and Monday.
Growers say that due to the long winter in the current season, mango buds grew less. Immediately after winter, rain destroyed most blossoms. After that, a continued severe heatwave hit hard small green mangoes. Now, a cyclonic storm caused damage for mangoes. Guti national mangoes started to harvest in Rajshahi from May 15 and Gopalbhoga started from May 25. Other mangoes are also supposed to come to the market one after another.
Rahidul Islam, officer (in charge) of the Rajshahi Meteorological Obser_vatory, said that due to cyclone Remal, heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds started in Rajshahi on Sunday night which continued until Monday midnight.
Rajshahi recorded 42mm rainfall until 3:00pm on Monday. The air humidity was 95 per cent.
On May 12, the 'Mango Calendar' was released at a meeting organised by the Rajshahi district administration, determining the time for mango collection, transportation, marketing and market monitoring.
As per the calendar, the harvest of Guti variety mangoes is to start on May 15 and that of Gopalbhog, Laxmanbhog, Lakhna and Ranipchand varieties on May 25 while plucking of Himsagar and Khirsapat variety mangoes is to start on May 30, Lengra and Banana varieties on June 10 and Amrapali and Fazli varieties on June 15.
Collecting of Ashwina variety mangoes will start on July 10, Gaurmati on July 15 and Ilamati variety mangoes on August 20.
Besides, Katimon and Barium-11 species of mangoes can be collected throughout the year. However, the farmers and traders are going to face losses due to gusty winds and heavy rains due to cyclone Remal on the eve of the mango harvest.
Asif Iqbal, a mango grower of Biharipara village of Puthia upazila of Rajshahi, said that even though the season of Gopalbhoga started on May 25, all the mangoes have not fully ripened yet. It may take another five/six days to fully ripen. So, I have decided to take down Gopalbhog from June 02.
Another mango grower, Tauhid Parvez, said 19 out of 27 trees in his garden do not have mangoes. The remaining seven trees had some mangoes. But on Monday, half of the mangoes fell due to the storm and rain. I've suffered a huge loss.
Shafiqul Islam Chana, a mango grower of Bagha Upazila of Rajshahi, said the mango pods were soft during the drought.
Umme Salma, deputy director (acting) of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Rajshahi, said mango plantations covered only 19,602 hectares of land in Rajshahi district this year which is 24 hectares more than that of the last year.
If the target is achieved, a total of 260,165 tonnes of mangoes will be produced in the district this year.
However, the yield is expected to be less this time due to adverse weather.

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