The country's largest mango market is held at Kansat in Chapainawabganj. Sales began there a few days ago, but trade is still well below other years. Mangoes are selling at Tk 2,000 to 2,500 a maund depending on the variety.
Arif Ali, from Shyampur union of the upazila, had come to Kansat to sell Gopalbhog mangoes. "I have about 400 maunds of mangoes this year, but not all of them are mature yet, so I have not sold," he said. "Today I sold Gopalbhog for the first time, at Tk 2,200 a maund. Prices are good so far, but I am worried whether they will stay like this."
Buyers and sellers
Sohag Ali was standing in the market with a van load of Khirshapat mangoes. "Today is my first day selling," he said. "Buyers are offering Tk 2,300 a maund, but I want Tk 2,500, so I haven't sold yet. Still, a lot of buyers have come to the market, and we are very happy about that."
Wholesaler Shariful Islam said: "We started buying on Sunday. This year we will send mangoes to Feni, Chattogram, Sylhet and other places. Today I bought Gopalbhog at Tk 2,400 a maund, and Khirshapat is selling at Tk 2,200 to 2,500."
Omar Faruk Tipu, general secretary of the Kansat wholesalers' association, said buying and selling had not really begun yet, but traders had finished all their preparations. He hoped trade would soon be in full swing.
Traffic plans and production
Shibganj upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Abul Hayat said officials had met everyone involved in the Kansat market and taken several decisions to keep the surrounding area free of traffic jams. A separate garage for CNG auto-rickshaws and battery-run auto-rickshaws will be set up next to the market.
Palash Sarkar, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Chapainawabganj, said the weather meant mangoes started ripening a few days later here than in other districts. He hoped all kinds of mangoes would reach the market in full within a few days.
He said mangoes have been planted on 37,855 hectares in the district this year, with a production target of 425,000 tonnes.
Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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