Although it was not officially inaugurated, the sale for the popular ‘haribhanga’ mangoes of Rangpur starts in the recent mornings with enthusiasm and great momentum in the gardens. According to the date given by the district administration, the marketing of this mango has officially started last week Wednesday.
In the recent morning, in the presence of almost all the members of the family of the mango growers in the orchard, the planting of mangoes started. Some of them started cultivating mangoes for the first time following religious rituals. The quota of mango in the hands of all the mango growers, the sound of the quota, the murmur of the mango leaves, all together create a noisy environment in the garden.
Small and big pickup vans carrying mangoes from the garden, rickshaw vans running on the way to Padaganj Hat, the capital of broken mangoes, are telling us that this is a different day for mango growers.
Mango growers and buyers walk in the market of Padaganj. Wherever the eye goes in the market, there is mango and mango. In addition, Rangpur Bus Terminal, Darshana Mor, Lalbagh, City Bazaar are available with fiberless and succulent broken mango. Ordinary buyers have complained that the price of broken mangoes has gone up this time as compared to other years. However, the farmers say that even though more mango buds have come this year, the yield has decreased due to the occasional Kalbaishakhi. Due to which the price is a little higher from the first day of marketing.
At first this mango was widely cultivated in some areas including Padaganj of Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur district. Apart from Mithapukur, Handibhanga is also being cultivated in Syedpur, Sadar, Parbatipur, Khansama and Chirirbandar areas of Nilphamari outside the district. Although the yield is lower this time than last year, 12 to 15 metric tons of mango will be available per hectare, said the Department of Agricultural Extension. Local mango growers are expecting to sell more than Tk 200 crore this year.
Abdus Samad, a mango farmer from Khoragachh Union in Mithapukur, the place of origin of Handibhanga, said that the sale of mangoes was good on the first day. He is happy to get a good price. Rana Mia, owner of Madhya Mandalpara orchard, said that although the yield of mango is less this time, there is a possibility of profit due to good weather. Shafiqul Islam, a mango farmer from the same area, has planted mangoes on about 15 bighas of land. He said that although there was not much business in the last two years due to Corona, this time it will be a very good business. However, due to storms and hailstorms, mangoes have been damaged this time.
Padaganj Hat is known as the area famous for broken mangoes. Mango farmers here do not usually sell gardens. They get mangoes from the trees and sell them at the market every day. Traders from far and wide come here directly to buy mangoes. In this way, if mango is sold in the market every day, the farmers get more profit.
Anwarul Haque, deputy director of the Agriculture Marketing Department in Rangpur, said the date for marketing of mangoes was fixed on June 15 after discussions with the district administration, police administration, mango farmers and traders. Accordingly, the marketing of mango has officially started. Rangpur Agriculture Extension Department Rangpur Deputy Director Obaidur Rahman said, this time mango has been cultivated in 1,006 hectares of land. Although the yield is less than last year, 12 to 15 tons of mango will come per hectare. So that the farmers will benefit.
