Baneshwar is the biggest mango market in Rajshahi and the whole of north Bengal. But because of a shortage of mangoes, the market has not yet got going.

Traders say the market is slow because the mangoes are not yet mature. They had hoped Gopalbhog would bring it to life, but that has not happened.

The market leaseholders say it is hard to tell when trade will pick up this time, because the yield is lower this year.

Under the mango calendar announced by the district administration, harvesting and marketing of Gopalbhog, Lakhna or Lakshmanbhog and Ranipasand mangoes began on 25 May. But with low yields and poor maturity, the market is still quiet, selling an average of 100 to 150 maunds a day.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), mangoes were grown on 19,578 hectares in Rajshahi district last season. This year mangoes are being grown on 19,602 hectares, with a production target of 260,315 tonnes.

At Baneshwar market in Puthia upazila, one of Rajshahi's main mango markets, only small amounts of mango are arriving, but prices are steep. Gopalbhog is selling at nearly double the price of the last two years. Because the weather has not been favourable, the mangoes are taking longer to mature, and so the markets will have to wait at least another 10 days to get busy.

Md Bishu brought mangoes from the Biraldaha area. "Today I brought Gopalbhog and guti mangoes. Gopalbhog is selling at Tk 2,500 a maund. At this time last year it was Tk 1,300," he said.

Abdul Motin, an aratdar at the market, said: "This time there will be no loss on mangoes. I will buy only when it pays. Production is low, so there is no chance of prices falling. Now 100 to 200 maunds of Gopalbhog arrive every day, and demand is quite good. The market has not got going yet; it will take 10 to 15 days. The mangoes are not fully mature. The mangoes are late this year, so they will take a little time to come to market, and the market will take a while to pick up."

He said he was buying Gopalbhog at Tk 2,500 and guti mangoes at Tk 1,400 to 1,600 a maund depending on quality. At retail, guti will sell at Tk 50 to 60 a kg and Gopalbhog at Tk 60 to 70. "The profit will be Tk 4 to 5 a kg. Production is low this year, so prices are higher," he said.

Mango trader Babar Ali said: "I bought Gopalbhog at Tk 2,380. Not many mangoes have come yet. Maturity is low, so it will take a little time. The price is double last year's, but the market has not got going and will take more time. Prices have fallen a little today compared with yesterday."

Online mango trader Majidur Rahman said: "I bought five crates of Gopalbhog today at Tk 2,700 a maund. The price is relatively high. There are few mangoes, so I am buying at a higher price. That is how we are quoting rates, and we buy only after receiving advance payment."

Baneshwar market leaseholder Jahangir Alam said the market has not got going yet and the yield is also lower this year. "Even Gopalbhog has not brought the market to life. It is hard to say when it will," he said.

"In other years the mango market gets so busy at this time that the road is blocked. This year there is nothing like that. Let us see when it picks up. I hope the market will get busy once mangoes from Sapahar in Naogaon start arriving. Now 100 to 150 maunds of mango are sold every day," he said.

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