\\\'Farmers\\\' training needed for safe, hygienic mango harvesting\\\'

RAJSHAHI, May 12 (BSS): There is no alternative to bring all the mango farmers under requisite training for promotion of modern technologies for making the mango harvesting and marketing process safe and hygienic, Agricultural scientists and extension officials at a training session said.
They mentioned that modern technologies need to be promoted commercially in mango orchards in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts during the forthcoming pre-harvest season to protect mango from pest attack besides facilitating the farmers to get quality and better yield.
Mango is the leading seasonal cash crop of the country's northwest region and dominates the economy in the two districts famous for the delicious fruit.
They said there are about 3 million (30 lakh) mango trees of different ages and varieties on some 32,816 hectares in the region with creation of many more new mango orchards and increased mango farming in the homesteads in recent years.
If the fruit bagging method were used substantially, use of harmful chemical insecticides and pesticides could be reduced to a greater extent on the huge trees. Thereby, the technology will open up a new door of exporting mango of the two districts, to various foreign markets.
They were addressing a daylong farmers training titled "Modern Technology for Safe Mango Production" at Proshadpara village under Godagari Upazila in Rajshahi district yesterday.
Agriculture Sustainable and Socio-Economic Development Organisation (ASSEDO) organised the practical training in association with Promoting Food Security and Livelihoods of Marginalised People of Barind Tract Project and Oxfam-Novib. More than 42 farmers, local service providers and traders joined the training.
Dr Jamir Uddin, Senior Scientific Officer of Regional Horticulture Research Center (RHRC) in Chapainawabgonj and Upazila Agriculture Officers Mozder Hossain and Proshanta Kumar Sarker conducted the training as resource persons.
ASSEDO Executive Director Agriculturist Rabiul Alam, Project Manager Mahbub Jaman Tapan, Technical Officer Muktar Hossain and Field Facilitators Kismat Ara, Ismail Hossain, Nazma Khatun and Asgar Ali Ali also spoke.
Dr Jamir Uddin revealed that bagged fruits had high recovery of marketable fruits over the non-bagged ones. Pre-harvest fruit bagging is a useful approach for plant protection and improved post-harvest fruit quality as bagging of mango fruits for lower insect and disease damage in fruits.