Mango growers are not getting the prices they expected at the country's big wholesale markets. Extreme heat has ripened most varieties at the same time, and to limit losses farmers are selling at Tk 10-15 a kg less than last year. Demand outside the growing districts was also low during the long Eid holiday, and traders have been unable to recover from that blow even after the holiday.

It is now the peak mango season in Naogaon, Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and nearby areas. Prices at farm level are well below last year's. Although mangoes sell in Dhaka at an average of Tk 60 to 100 a kg, prices in the producing areas are not rising above Tk 20 to 30. On some days prices at the wholesale markets fall below Tk 20, and farmers then make a loss.

Yakub Mia, a farmer in Badalgachhi, Naogaon, said: "The area's famous Fazli mango is selling wholesale at Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,200 a maund, about Tk 600 less than last year."

"This time Eid has ruined us," he said. "During the long holiday city people stayed in their villages, so we couldn't send mangoes to Dhaka and other cities, and there was no demand either. The mangoes ripened then, and we sold them cheaply for fear they would spoil."

Several other growers said ripe mangoes rot quickly, so they are forced to sell cheaply. Sales were low during the holiday, and on top of that the intense heat ripened the fruit fast at that time.

Farid Uddin, a mango grower in Kansat, Chapainawabganj, said: "This year there has been intense heat right in the peak of the mango season, so all the mangoes are ripening quickly at the same time. At the same time demand is low because of the holiday. That's why I sold my mangoes cheaply to avoid a big loss."

A large mango market has now developed on online platforms, but online buyers stayed away during the holiday and orders from them were also low.

Shyamal Biswas, head of the online platform Aam Kinun Dot Com, said: "Couriers were closed during this time, and we had no orders either. So we couldn't place any big orders with orchards and wholesale markets. We too have suffered losses because of this holiday in the peak season."

Fewer seasonal mango sellers also came to the wholesale markets to buy because of Eid, and overall the markets were very slack.

According to this year's calendar, harvesting has so far begun of Guti, Gopalbhog, Ranipasand, Lakshmanbhog, Himsagar or Khirshapati, Banana Mango and Langra. Amrapali and Fazli can be picked from 15 June, BARI Aam-4 from 5 July, Ashwina from 10 July and Gourmati from 15 July. Katimon and BARI Aam-11 can be picked all year round, subject to ripeness.

Farmers say, however, that while Gopalbhog, Lakshmanbhog and Himsagar used to ripen about a week apart, this year they ripened almost together. The heat has also made Amrapali and Fazli start ripening early.

Umme Salma, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Rajshahi, told Jago News: "Mangoes have been grown on 19,603 hectares in Rajshahi district this year. Production will exceed 2.5 lakh tonnes. Production is higher this year thanks to favourable conditions, which is why prices are somewhat lower than in other years. But we hope prices will rise after the holiday."

Despite farmers' losses, mango exports are on a positive track this year, according to the Export-Oriented Mango Production Project. Project director Mohammad Arifur Rahman told Jago News: "So far about 550 tonnes of mangoes have been exported to 24 countries. Exportable mangoes will go abroad for another two months, so exports are expected to rise considerably on last year."

Bangladesh formally began exporting mangoes to China this year. A 10-tonne consignment was sent to China on 29 May; mangoes had never been exported to China before. About 100 tonnes in all will go to China this season. Bangladeshi mangoes are also exported to countries such as India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, France, Sweden and Canada.

Arifur Rahman said the target this year is to export about 5,000 tonnes of mangoes.

According to the DAE, in 2020-21 mango production was 23,50,499 tonnes from 2,02,968 hectares. In 2022-23 it rose to 27,07,459 tonnes. In 2023-24 mangoes were grown on 2,05,034 hectares, producing 25,08,973 tonnes.

Export figures for the past eight years show that exports began in 2016-17 with just 309 tonnes, reaching 1,757 tonnes five years later in 2021-22. The highest, 3,092 tonnes, was exported in 2022-23. But exports fell in 2023-24 because of political unrest in the country, to 1,321 tonnes.

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