Mango prices plummet due to oversupply

Traders and customers from across the country are flocking to the mango markets of Chapainawabganj -- known as the mango capital of Bangladesh. The long and frequent heatwaves during this season have caused almost all varieties of mango to ripen ahead of schedule.

Despite the abundant harvest of the popular summer fruit this year, farmers are not making good profit due to low prices and high cost of production.

This correspondent found mango prices to be much lower this year than that of last year during a visit to the Kansat mango market -- the largest in the country.

Brojendra Nath Saha, a mango trader from Ranibari-Chanpur, said Khirsapat mangoes were selling for Tk 2,200-3,000 per maund, down from Tk 2,500-4,000 last year and Langra mangoes were selling for Tk 1,200-2,000 per maund, down from Tk 2,500-4,000 the previous year.

Badsha Ali, a trader from Sonamasjid, said Amropali mangoes were selling for Tk 2,000-2,400, down from Tk 3,000-3,200 last year and different kinds of Guti mango varieties were selling for Tk 700-1,200 per maund, compared to Tk 800-2,000 the previous year.

Imam Ali, a trader at the town's Puraton Bazar mango market, said prices this year are lower than usual because of an abundance of the fruit and a lack of refrigeration facilities in this hot weather.

Munjer Alam, secretary of the Chapainawabganj Krishi Association, said, "Mango production has become more expensive as a result of rising costs for irrigation, labour, and transportation, as well as fertilisers, pesticides, and fungicides."

"The heatwaves have made things worse for mango farmers and they won't have any profits left this year because of the low prices," he added.

Farmers and orchard owners said the summer fruits have all ripened roughly around the same time thanks to the prolonged heatwaves this season. A large number of mangoes of different kinds have hit the local markets owing to good production. Consequently, prices are lower this year compared to that of last year.

Aminul Islam, a mango orchard owner in the town's Alinagar, said, "Because mango prices are lower than they were last year, farmers will make little profit with most losing money."

Palash Sarkar, deputy director of the district Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), said there are more than 2.8 million mango trees on 37,588 hectares in the district.

"The production target in this region has been set at 425,000 tonnes this season. If the weather remains favourable the production will meet the target," he added.