Chapainawabganj's Khirsapat mango, known as the king of mangoes, has found a place in world markets many times beyond the domestic one. But it could only be had in season: Khirsapat (Himsagar) meant the taste of the month of Jyoishtho. Breaking with that, the delicious mango is now on sale even after the mango season has ended. Jago News looked into how.

A recent check across the district found Gourmoti, Ashwina and Katimon varieties now on sale, but in the orchards of a few growers the season's most prized mango, Khirsapat (Himsagar), is still available.

The agriculture department sees this off-season production as a new and successful experiment by farmers. Although still experimental, it believes that if it can be spread commercially, farmers will get better prices and the district's economy will be revived, because the off-season mango fetches several times the price of the seasonal fruit.

Mango growers say Khirsapat is mainly produced in May and is a seasonal mango famous around the world. A few farmers, however, have experimentally got the trees to fruit in August. If this can be done commercially, they say, farmers will benefit, as the mango will sell for three times the seasonal price.

Golam Mostafa, a mango grower from Argara village in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj, caused a stir by getting Khirsapat to fruit in August. He is now selling the mangoes at Tk 25,000 a maund.

He told Jago News he has been involved in mango growing since birth. He used to grow seasonal mangoes but was not making much profit, so he started growing Katimon and Gourmoti. To do so he converted his seasonal Khirsapat trees to Katimon by changing the variety, and the trees produced good Katimon crops. But because the trees' base was still Khirsapat, branches from it produced flowers a few months ago.

"I started looking after those flowers, and then I saw that at this time of year the trees had set Khirsapat mangoes," he said. "So far I have sold mangoes worth about Tk 80,000. I hope to use this method to get even more fruit in future. It is easy to profit this way."

Sajib Ali, a mango grower in the Bhangabridge area of Shibganj, has Khirsapat mangoes, a certified geographical indication (GI) product, hanging among his Katimon. Growers are busy tending them, and buyers are offering Tk 20,000 to Tk 25,000 a maund in the orchard.

"At first I could not believe it," he said. "The mangoes fetch a lot: they are selling at Tk 20,000 a maund. If Khirsapat can be grown at this time, it can be sold for three to four times the seasonal price. I am trying it as an experiment and hope to produce out of season. I have sold mangoes this time too."

Ismail Khan Shamim, general secretary of the Shibganj Mango Producer Co-operative Society, said GI-recognised Khirsapat had always been available only in season, when it sells for just Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,500 a maund. Farmers have now worked out a new method: after Katimon branches are grafted onto Khirsapat trees, shoots from the original branches emerge and bear fruit, while the grafted branches bear Katimon. Farmers are now trying experimentally to get Khirsapat to fruit out of season. Using this method, the mango sector could be taken further and the mango market could one day grow by several thousand crore taka, he said.

Dr Md Sharaf Uddin, acting chief scientific officer at the Chapainawabganj Regional Horticulture Research Station, told Jago News there is strong demand for Khirsapat beyond the domestic market, and it is the mango most exported from the country. But because it ripens early in the season, farmers do not get much for it, as all the local guti varieties ripen at the same time.

He said the farmers' new method had not been seen before; Khirsapat had never been made to fruit at this time of year. The matter had come to the station's attention, and they would work on it.

Md Abdul Halim, additional deputy director (crops) of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Chapainawabganj, said the agriculture department sees such off-season production as a new and successful experiment by farmers. Though still experimental, if it can be spread commercially farmers will get better prices, the district's economy will be revived and growers will profit.

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