Rangpur awaits bumper production of Haribhanga mango

RANGPUR, May 9 (BSS): A bumper production of local variety Haribhanga mango is expected in the district this season. Its harvest will begin from the middle of next month, official sources said.
Horticulture specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam predicts bumper production of the Haribhanga mango if the climatic condition continues to remain favourable during the next two months.
Predicting better production, he said that frequent rainfall since April have been helping a lot in better growth of the tender fruit having enormous demand both at home and abroad.
According to the DAE sources, commercial cultivation of Haribhanga mango has already become popular among the local farmers.
More than 6,200 farmers and people of the district have cultivated the mango in 4,200 small, medium and big orchards and also on the homesteads on over 5,700 hectares of land this season, after producing 21,000 tonnes of fruit worth Tk 1.47 billion last year, the sources added.
The farmers are expected to produce around 22,000 tonnes of mango this season in the district alone, as its cultivation has been expanding fast here as well as all over Rangpur division in recent years, the sources said.
The mango is mostly being cultivated in the orchards at Podaganj, Khoragach Purbopara, Khoragach Paschimpara, Ruposhi, Zarullapur, Rangatipara, Bangaon, Chaker Pather, Paikarerhat, Rukniganj, Siraj, Tekani, Moyenpur, Kadamtola, Lalpukur, Shukurerhat, Sikarpur, Fulchowki, Tilakpara, Kashimpur, Ucha Balua, Matherhat and other villages in Mithapukur Upazila.
Besides, Haribhanga mango is being cultivated at Kutubpur, Arunnesa, Nataram, Rustamabad, Nagerhat, Chowpothirhat, Kanchabari, Gopalpur, Baroghoria, Airamri and Mandalpara under Badarganj Upazila and Kantabari, Palichora, Ramjiban under Sadar Upazila and many other villages under Pirganj Upazila.
According to the market sources, the farmers will begin harvest of the mango from second week of June and it will continue until end of July. The price of per kg mango would rise up to Tk 300 in place of Tk 60 to 65 per kg in the beginning of harvesting season.
Farmers Golam Mostafa, Ansar Ali and Bablu Master of Podaganj, Lutfar Rahman of village Paikarerhat, Abdus Salam of Akhirarhat, Jahangir Hossain and Nur Islam of other villages in the district are also predicting bumper production this season.
Farmers Aminur Rahman, Mozaffar Hossain, Abdul Gafur, Nizamul Islam, Moazzem Hossain and Zonab Ali of different villages said they are expecting bumper production of Haribhanga mango with better price this time.
The successful farmers said that they have been cultivating the mango in their orchards for the past eight years and have already achieved economic self-reliance to change their fortune through successful farming of the highly profitable mango.
Deputy Director of the DAE Zulfiquer Haider and Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Afzal Hossain said the farmers are being provided with the latest technologies to further boost cultivation of the prospective Haribhanga mango.