Since when have the people of the country enjoyed the mango treat so regally in late Ashar and even in early Shraban? Well, traditionally fazli, the late arrival of the lot, used to be available at this time. But not langra and other early varieties. Heemsagar, laxman bhog were there in the market till the third week of Ashar. Have all varieties of mangoes become late in fruition, maturity and ripening?
Apparently that is the impression. But in fact a quiet revolution has taken place in harvesting and marketing mangoes. Gone are the days when truckloads of the so-called ripened fruits were destroyed by bulldozers. Mangoes ripened artificially with carbide and other chemicals started flooding market right from Baishakh. By the time the month of Jayastha came to an end, most varieties of mangoes also disappeared. This happened not because it was a lean year; even when there was bumper yield of the fruit, mangoes used to vanish from orchards or markets. All because of man's manipulation with the ripening of mango.
This year was not a bumper-yield year by any means but still mangoes are there on the orchards or in the market. What magic is behind this phenomenon? Well, here is an amazing story of getting things right. The district administration took control of the situation through monitoring mango orchards by local administration right from the beginning. Unless the mangoes ripened normally, no one was allowed to harvest mangoes from orchards. Nature also cooperated with the administration. This year the country has experienced heavy rains even from the pre-monsoon season. Even Rajshahi, an arid zone, recorded the highest rainfalls in decades. Temperature rose high only on rare days and this somehow delayed the ripening of mangoes. But credit goes mainly to the administrative injunction not to harvest unripe mangoes and use chemical for their ripening.
A very good example has been set. This year's mangoes, unlike those of other years, taste as they should. Perhaps the dishonest traders learnt a lesson when in the early season a truckload of artificially ripened mango was destroyed in Dhaka. They knew that no one would be spared if they indulged in the malpractice again. Vigilance worked well. This is the mystery of the lengthening of the mango season and the fruits retaining its original taste. Mangoes are, however, not as shiny and colourful as they were when artificially ripened. They retain their natural colour if not tinkered with.
The result of the administrative measure is amazing. Even the mango traders who used to flaunt a colourful banner claiming their collections were chemical-free have projected a low profile. There were a few such shops. But when the public know that mangoes almost everywhere are of the same quality, why should they go for abnormally high-priced varieties in their makeshift outlets?
The price of mangoes however varies depending on the types of vendors or shops. Usually fruit sellers at the low end dispose of their fruits at low prices. But those who set up their shops on their rickshaw van hawking their ware demand the lowest price possible. Stores like Mina Bazaar, Swapna and Agora use their brand value in order to keep the price high. In fact, these shops could lower the price on the market theory that more sale and less profit make up for the small margin.
In a country where adulterated foods, chemical-treated fruits and vegetables have become the norm, the amazing feat achieved in retaining the purity of mangoes deserves to be commended. Now this experience should be replicated for maintaining the originality of fruits like banana, pineapple, papaya, jackfruit, water melon etc. Then gradually vegetables and fish should be brought under strict surveillance so that people can depend on unadulterated foodstuffs. Human health is precious. When contaminated foods attack the nervous system or body cells, people fall ill. Today the incidence of cancer, liver and kidney diseases is abnormally high. And poisoned food is mainly responsible for this. Traders not only make profit but they are damaging the nation's health, energy and talent by contaminating foods. There is a need for freeing this nation from such a curse.
