Rangpur farmers happy with Haribhanga mango prices
The Haribhanga variety of mango has started arriving at Rangpur's wholesale and retail market for seasonal fruits at the central bus terminal, selling at Tk 80 to Tk 130 per kilogramme (kg) depending on quality, size and taste.
Growers say the prices were moderately good, considering the slow economic activities amidst the coronavirus pandemic which has shut down train services, limiting transportation to roads.
Though also grown in Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha and Kurigram districts, Haribanga of Rangpur is claimed to be a taste apart for the soil and weather conditions.
The near fibreless seasonal fruit has been cultivated in around 1,750 hectares of Rangpur, 70 per cent of it in Mithapukur and Badarganj upazilas, with the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) expecting each hectare to produce around 9.5 tonnes.
Plucking started this week, every 40 kg selling at Tk 1,500 to Tk 1,900 at the orchards.
Last year production had been a bit less and this year the weather is said to have been favourable despite massive damages caused by tropical cyclone Amphan in May.
The pandemic lockdowns made it troublesome to avail essentials such as pesticides on time, said grower Bakul Hossain of Mithapukur.
"If there are an adequate number of buyers, growers will get better rates for sure," he said.
Buyers usually come to make purchases right off the trees between March and early May but they were late this year, said another grower, Md Samsuzzaman of Badarganj.
"It is possible to earn a better profit if the situation remains as it is now," he said.
Transportation, healthcare support and increased police vigilance to prevent robberies were assured by the deputy commissioner at a meeting with orchard owners on June 13.
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