Mango marketing has begun in Chuadanga with the picking of Anti, Guti and Bombai mangoes. The work started at 10am on Thursday (16 May) at Badal Mia's orchard in the Mohaldar mango grove of Mohila College Para in the district town.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Kissinger Chakma and Bibhas Chandra Saha, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), formally opened the harvest season by picking mangoes from a tree. A discussion with mango growers and orchard owners followed.

Bibhas Chandra Saha said a target of 30,000 tonnes of mangoes has been set across Chuadanga's four upazilas, Chuadanga Sadar, Alamdanga, Damurhuda and Jibannagar. Mangoes have been grown on 2,304 hectares in the district this year, and Tk 150 crore worth of mangoes is expected to be traded.

Answering a question from journalists, Dr Kissinger Chakma said Chuadanga is one of the mango-rich districts and its mangoes are famous across the country. A mango calendar has been prepared to keep that reputation, and picking will begin by variety according to the calendar.

He added that the administration is alert to ensure no harmful substances or formalin are mixed into mangoes, and priority is being given to getting safe mangoes to consumers.

According to the calendar, picking begins on 16 May for Anti, Guti and Bombai mangoes, from 24 May for Himsagar, 30 May for Langra, 7 June for Amrapali (BARI Aam-3), 15 June for Fazli and from 1 July for Ashwina and BARI-4.

Sadar upazila agriculture officer Afrin Binte Aziz, Damurhuda upazila agriculture officer Sharmin Akter and local mango growers were also present.

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