A three-day agricultural technology fair has begun in Bagha, Rajshahi. At the fair, which opened on the upazila premises on Saturday (20 May), a display of 100 varieties of mango has caught everyone's eye.

The mango display has been set up beside the main gate of the premises. The varieties carry a colourful range of names, and people are crowding in to see them.

Mahmudul Hasan, a college student visiting the fair, said: "We usually know the names of 10 to 15 mango varieties. I did not know that so many more grow in Bagha alone, or that mangoes could have such varied names."

Mannan Hossain, 60, has grown mangoes for about 40 years. "Bagha once had many varieties of mango, but they are gone today. Because of high-yielding varieties, many people have lost these old varieties. It feels very good to see them all together today. I hope the government will try to preserve them," he said.

Bagha upazila agriculture officer Shafiullah Sultan said Bagha upazila is famous for its mangoes and many varieties grow here. The area's mangoes are well known even abroad. But because of commercialisation and demand, many old varieties are disappearing, and the display was organised to introduce them to the new generation and the public.

"We collected these mangoes from different parts of the upazila. We will publish a souvenir booklet on them. We will also set up a plasma bank to conserve the varieties so that they are not lost," he said.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.