Considering the weather, Rangpur's traditional Haribhanga mango is coming to market ten days ahead of the set date. Picking will begin on Saturday, 10 June, instead of 20 June.

The Rangpur district administration and the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) issued a notice to this effect at noon on Wednesday, 7 June.

Growers had submitted a memorandum to the Rangpur deputy commissioner on Monday, 5 June, asking for the picking date to be brought forward so that Haribhanga mangoes could be supplied to markets from 10 June instead of 20 June.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Chitralekha Nazneen said Haribhanga growers from Padaganj had submitted a memorandum demanding that marketing begin on 10 June instead of 20 June. They said that because of the lack of rain the mangoes had started ripening and had matured, the fruit was getting smaller, and it could no longer be kept in the orchards. If marketing began on the government's set date of 20 June, many mangoes would ripen and rot in the orchards, and growers, orchard owners and traders would face losses. So they asked for the date to be brought forward.

The deputy commissioner said that after receiving the memorandum, DAE was asked to inspect the orchards and report. It produced its field report, and on that basis Haribhanga mangoes will be officially marketed from 10 June this year instead of 20 June.

Mango growers, traders and entrepreneurs have welcomed the decision of the district administration and DAE.

Mangoes of all varieties have been planted on about 3,535 hectares in Rangpur this year, of which 1,905 hectares are Haribhanga.

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