Weeks after the mango season ended, Kalyanbhog mangoes are still hanging in orchards across Chapainawabganj. Because growers can switch an old tree to the new variety by top working, grafting new scions onto established trees, the variety is spreading fast through the district.
Kalyanbhog ripens mainly in September and October, outside the main season, when other mangoes are scarce and prices higher. Several fruits set on a single shoot, each weighing about 300 grams on average.
In 2017 six Kalyanbhog scions brought from India were top-worked into the orchard of grower Robiul Islam in Gomostapur. Neighbouring farmers took scions from him and have since planted at least 50 bighas, and growers elsewhere in the district are now buying scions and saplings.
Robiul Islam expects about 100 maunds of Kalyanbhog from his orchard at Khoirabad this year, much of it sold online straight from the orchard. He is getting Tk 16,000 to 18,000 a maund this season, against about Tk 13,000 last season, and has sold some 30 maunds in the past eight to ten days.
Planting material is a second income. He says he has sold about 50,000 scions so far and may sell another 20,000, at Tk 15 to 20 each, along with about 32,000 saplings.
Chapainawabganj growers have in recent years been adding varieties such as Banana, Gourmoti, BARI Mango-4, Amrapali and Katimon. Kalyanbhog is the latest, stretching the district's selling season by several weeks.
The report is by Krishi Shomoy's Chapainawabganj correspondent.
Source: Krishi Shomoy
Comments
(0)