Mango blossom is swaying on the trees across Rajshahi, and on some trees young fruit has already begun to set. This year blossom has come on 85 percent of Rajshahi's trees.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) says that although there is less blossom, production will still be good if there is no natural disaster.
According to the Rajshahi district DAE, mangoes have been grown on 19,602 hectares this year, with a production target of 260,164 tonnes. Last year mangoes were grown on 19,578.8 hectares in Rajshahi, producing 260,006 tonnes, and the mangoes earned Tk 1,528 crore 2 lakh 99 thousand 770. Blossom began appearing at the start of February this year and will continue until mid-March. So far, blossom has come on 85 percent of trees.
Early fruit in Bagha and Charghat
In several areas of Bagha, Charghat and the city, young fruit has appeared on early mango varieties, and farmers are busy tending it. In most orchards, however, the fruit has not yet set, so farmers are busy caring for the blossom.
Abdul Kadir, a farmer in Bagha, said: "Young fruit has come on some trees. But this year the blossom has not come on all the trees the way it should. Some buds are still there, and some blossom may yet open."
Ekramul Haque, a mango grower in Charghat, said: "As every year, the young fruit has come on time. Within the next two to three weeks, fruit will set on all the trees."
Officials differ on blossom
Mazdar Hossain, deputy director of the DAE in Rajshahi, said: "Blossom has come on 85 percent of mango trees this year, and some trees are already showing young fruit. Mangoes have been grown on about 20,000 hectares in Rajshahi this year. The rest will come in gradually. We hope that even with less blossom, production will be good if there is no natural disaster. We are advising that the trees now carrying young fruit be sprayed once."
However, Dr Md Shafiqul Islam, chief scientific officer at the Rajshahi Fruit Research Station, said that many trees that give a good crop one year do not do so the next. Rajshahi had very good blossom last year; this year, he said, blossom has come on an average of 55 percent of trees. Some trees will still flower, but that will be very rare. Trees showing young fruit must be sprayed with fungicide, he said, to keep losses down.
Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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