Mango trees in various parts of Rajshahi have started to blossom, beginning with early varieties. It will take until mid-February for all trees to flower. So far the severe cold has not damaged the blossoms, but farmers are worried.

According to the Rajshahi district office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), mango orchards cover 19,602 hectares in the district this year, with a production target of 2,60,164 tonnes. Last year mangoes were grown on 19,578.8 hectares in Rajshahi and production was 2,60,006 tonnes. Growers in the region earned Tk 1,528 crore 2 lakh 99 thousand 770 from selling mangoes last year.

A visit found blossoms on early-variety mango trees in Bagha, Charghat and several areas of the city. Farmers are busy tending the trees and blossoms, though most orchards have not yet flowered.

Abdul Matin, a grower in Bagha, told Jagonews that four of his early-variety trees have blossomed, while the other 18 have not yet. He hopes they will flower within a week or two and is now caring for the base of the trees.

Shariful Islam, a grower in Paba, said that as every year, the kacha mitha and early guti mango trees have blossomed. All the trees will be covered in blossom within two to three weeks, but some blossoms may be lost to fog.

Majdar Hossain, deputy director of the DAE in Rajshahi, told Jagonews that some early varieties have blossomed and the rest will follow in stages. Mangoes have been grown on about 20,000 hectares in Rajshahi this year, he said.

Dr Md Shafiqul Islam, chief scientific officer of the Rajshahi Fruit Research Centre, told Jagonews that mangoes have blossomed in some orchards in Rajshahi, and it may take until mid-February for all of them to flower.

He said that if dense fog or a cold wave sets in, the early blossoms could be damaged. In that case, a fungicide and an imidacloprid-group pesticide should be sprayed as soon as the blossoms open, which will reduce the risk of damage.

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