The Kansat mango market in Chapainawabganj, the country's largest, in the area known as the 'mango capital', has come alive. With good prices this year, orchard owners, growers and traders are seeing profits. People involved say mangoes worth Tk 30–40 crore are bought and sold at Kansat every day.

Chapainawabganj has produced large amounts of mangoes in recent years. But growers in the region did not get good prices because of formalin fears, rising mango production across the country, exports falling short, time limits set on picking, and mangoes ripening all at once in extreme heat. This year the market tells a different story. Under High Court directions and administrative monitoring, only mature, toxin-free mangoes are reaching the market, and prices are good. Many other businesses have picked up around the mango trade.

At Kansat, the country's largest mango market, growers sit in rows with mangoes piled in baskets on vans and bicycles, while buyers bargain. The country's best Khirsapat and Langra and various guti mangoes are on sale.

Depending on quality, Khirsapat sells for Tk 2,500 to Tk 3,500 a maund, Langra for Tk 1,500 to Tk 2,000, Lakkhanbhog for Tk 700 to Tk 900 and various guti mangoes for Tk 850 to Tk 1,500.

Shariful Islam of Babupur village in Shyampur union brought two van-loads of mangoes to Kansat. He told Jago News: "Mango prices are good this time. But not all mangoes fetch the same price. I am worried whether I can make a profit overall."

Anarul Islam, a grower from the Muslimpur area, said: "I have been losing money on mangoes for several years. I can't say whether I will make a profit this time, because the price of everything has gone up. A labourer's wage that was Tk 250 last year is Tk 400 this year. Pesticide I bought for Tk 800 before now costs Tk 1,200."

Shibganj upazila agriculture officer Shariful Islam told Jago News that Shibganj had long been the best for mango production, and the upazila had plenty of mangoes again this year. The Kansat mango market is in this upazila. He said it was not possible to say exactly how much is sold at the market each day, but roughly Tk 30–40 crore worth of mangoes are sold there daily.

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