Hybrid varieties of mangoes flood markets over indigenous ones

RAJSHAHI, July 13: Due to cultivation of hybrid varieties of mangoes elsewhere in the district, both by the government and the private entrepreneurs, the fate of indigenous, superb varieties of mangoes is at a stake. In hundreds of acres of land, farmers of the district are now  planting hybrid varieties of mango saplings which have a quick growth, a huge production but often inferior in flavour and taste compared to those of indigenous varieties. As a result of increase of Hybrid varieties of mango cultivation, the number of indigenous varieties of mango trees are dwindling in the district. The mango markets of Rajshahi are now also seen to be flooded with various hybrid varieties of mangoes.
According to sources, more than one hundred varieties of hybrid mangoes, both imported and developed and released by BARI (Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute), are now being cultivated by the farmers of the mango growing districts of Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Natore and Naogaon. Mango produced from those varieties are large in size, attractive in colour, and  pest resistant but obviously, those lack taste and flavour of mangoes of indigenous varieties.
Most of hybrid varieties that the farmers are now cultivating include : Amrapali, Mallika, BARI-4, Chousa, Pahutan, Palmer, MDS, Hybrid-10 and Lakna. The benefits of cultivating the hybrid varieties of mango are that these could be stored for a long time, even sometimes a month, most of these takes to ripen long after the indigenous variety. The skin of these mangoes are also very tough and thick and like hybrid tomatoes anyone can walk on such mangoes and these varieties are often drought and flood resistant.
On the other hand, there are only a handful of indigenous varieties of mangoes like Nangra, Goplabhog, Surma, Fazli, Khirsapat, Kuar Pahari and Ashina. Now, most of the old mango orchards contain the trees of indigenous varieties but at a newly made mango orchards more than 80 percent of mango trees belonged to hybrid varieties.
Purbasha Agro Complex Limited is an agricultural organisation deals in hybrd mangoes in Nachole of Chapainawabganj. Habibur Rahman, Managing Director of the complex informed, hybrid mangoes were nevertheless bad in qualities. He added, there are many hybrid mangoes which are far better than many of the indigenous varieties.
Dr. Alim Uddin, Scientific Officer of Regional Horticulture Research  Centre informed, BARI released  hybrid varieties of mangoes only after testing it for a long time. He also claimed that all the hybrid varieties released by BARI are developed by cross pollinating of indigenous varieties. He however, refused to accept that the hybrid varieties of mangoes are inferior than those of indigenous varieties of mangoes.