Beltala is one of the country's biggest mango markets. Between 15,000 and 20,000 maunds of mangoes are sold there every day, worth more than Tk 5 to 6 crore. Trading goes on from morning until late at night.

The market at Bagari in Sharsha, Jashore, has 86 mango wholesale houses (arots). Farmers bring mangoes from the upazila's 11 unions and surrounding areas, wholesale buyers arrive from the morning, and the whole market rings with the calls of buyers and sellers.

On a visit, the large market was seen spread along both sides of the Satkhira-Navaran road, a busy road carrying all kinds of vehicles. Traders said that because the market sits on the road, minor accidents happen.

Several traders said that if the market could be moved to a field, farmers could sell mangoes safely and traders could pack them into cartons at their own pace. Every day hundreds of vans, karimon-nasimon and other engine-driven vehicles have to stop on the road to unload mangoes, which also causes traffic jams.

They said Gopalbhog, Khirshapati, Gobindabhog, Langra, Himsagar, Gopal Khas, Baishakhi, Amrapali and other varieties come to the market. Wholesale buyers from different districts buy them, and after meeting local demand the mangoes are also exported.

Montu Mia, publicity secretary of the market management committee, said: "Formalin-free mangoes are sold here. Traders do business without any pressure. Arotdars take a commission of 3 per cent. Farmers go home with cash after selling. Because transport is good, traders from almost every district buy mangoes here. Farmers pay only 5 per cent in market toll."

Committee general secretary Kamruzzaman told Jago News: "Mango trading began on 6 May. Gopalbhog, Khirshapati, Gobindabhog, Himsagar and Gopalkhas are selling now. Himsagar will come to the market from 21 May, Langra from 28 May, and Amrapali and Mallika from 6 June."

Market committee president Mahmud Hossain said: "There are three grades of arot: A, B and C. An A-grade arotdar sells on average Tk 10-15 lakh of mangoes a day, a B-grade one Tk 6-10 lakh, and a C-grade one Tk 3-4 lakh."

Sharsha upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Kazi Nazib Hasan told Jago News: "Beltala in Sharsha is a big mango market in the south-west of the country. It meets the mango demand of most districts, and mangoes are also exported from here."

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