In Sapahar, Naogaon, the commercial capital of mangoes, prices were relatively low only a few weeks ago. Now, at the tail end of the season, the market is rising.

Farmers say, however, that current prices are far lower than in previous years. With little rain, prolonged drought and expensive pesticides this year, production costs have risen, so they see no profit in selling mangoes.

Traders say the season is coming to an end and farmers are gradually selling the mangoes still on the trees. Prices will now rise every day, and orchard owners are unwilling to sell unless paid more.

People involved in the trade said that although mango production was a record this year, weak marketing meant farmers did not get a fair return from the start. Lack of rain, heavy fruit fly attacks and weak marketing, among other things, caused them big losses. Costs rose and large quantities of mangoes rotted.

With the fruit running out, most orchards are now bare. Improved varieties such as Himsagar, Gopalbhog and Banana Mango left the market some time ago. A small quantity of Amrapali remains, along with a handful of varieties including BARI-4, Gourmoti, Katimon and Ashwina. At the end of the season their taste has improved, and so have their prices.

Naogaon's largest mango market is held in Sapahar. Enquiries there found Amrapali selling at Tk 9,000 to 10,000 a maund, BARI-4 at Tk 8,000 to 12,000, Gourmoti at Tk 6,000 to 8,000, Katimon at Tk 6,000 to 8,000 and Ashwina at Tk 2,200 to 3,000.

Online mango trader Sohel Chowdhury supplies mangoes to various districts through a Facebook page called Sapahar Amer Hat. He said supply is falling at the end of the season while demand is rising, which is why prices are up. But even current prices are Tk 2,000 to 4,000 a maund lower than last year.

Alamin Hossain, who came to the market to sell mangoes, said prices had been low from the start of the season and have risen now that fewer mangoes are coming in. Farmers would have profited more had they got these prices earlier.

Another farmer, Sohel Rana, said that at this time last year Amrapali sold for up to Tk 14,000 to 16,000 a maund, and other mangoes were Tk 3,000 to 4,000 a maund dearer. Prices are lower this year because production is higher. Even at current prices there will not be much profit, he said, because pesticides were expensive and low rainfall and drought raised production costs.

Wholesaler Ismail Hossain said the quantity of mangoes is falling day by day, so prices are rising, and they will go on rising as supply shrinks.

Kartik Saha, president of the Sapahar Mango Wholesalers' Association, said the business target had not been met this year. Amrapali should have finished in the market by now, but farmers held on to their mangoes hoping for bigger profits, and Amrapali is still arriving though it should have ended 15 days earlier. Other mangoes are also on the market. Prices have risen at the end, he said, but overall neither farmers, wholesalers nor traders are making a profit.

Abul Kalam Azad, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Naogaon, said growers with late varieties are profiting greatly at the end of the season, because prices have risen by Tk 2 to 4 a maund within 15 to 20 days. Prices tend to be relatively good late in the season, so the department is now advising farmers to grow late varieties.

According to the district agriculture department, mangoes were grown on 30,000 hectares in Naogaon this year. At 12.50 metric tonnes a hectare, the district's total mango harvest target was set at 3,78,000 metric tonnes.

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