Haribhanga, the mango that is Rangpur's pride and tradition, has reached the market. As every year, formal sales of the juicy, tasty mango began in mid-June.

Official marketing of the famous Haribhanga began on Monday, 15 June. On the first day, crowds of buyers and sellers packed Padaganj market, the centre of Rangpur's mango trade, and other markets.

Orchard owners, middlemen, orchard workers, seasonal sellers, online sellers, transport operators and courier businesses were all busy buying and selling. Locals complained, however, that some dishonest traders had started selling the mango a week early, before it was ripe.

According to farmers and local wholesalers, large mangoes now sell for Tk 1,500 to Tk 1,600 a maund and medium ones for Tk 1,200 to Tk 1,300, depending on quality and size, which works out at Tk 30 to Tk 40 a kg wholesale. In retail markets, large mangoes sell for Tk 50 to Tk 60 a kg and medium ones for Tk 40 to Tk 50.

Local farmer Mehedi Hasan told Jago News he grew mangoes on five bighas of his own land this year. Continuous rain and storms cut the yield and changed the colour of the skin. Mangoes that sold for Tk 1,800 to Tk 2,000 a maund at the start of last season are now selling for Tk 1,500 to Tk 1,600, he said.

Mosabbir Boksi, a farmer in Padaganj, said he grew mangoes on 8 acres and hailstorms damaged part of the orchard. At current prices he will not make the profit he hoped for, though prices may rise as the days go by.

Mofizul Islam, a wholesaler from Dhaka, told Jago News that mangoes from orchards across Mithapukur, Badarganj and Sadar upazilas are going by truck to Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet and other parts of the country. Online sales are also booming again, with buyers getting fresh mangoes at home through Facebook pages and e-commerce sites.

Couriers charge Tk 13 a kg to send mangoes to Dhaka and Tk 16 a kg elsewhere. Including crates or boxes and packing, sending a maund costs Tk 3,600 to Tk 4,000. In Rangpur city the mango is also sold at the central bus terminal road, City Bazar, Lalbagh, Modern Mor, Dhap Bazar, Shapla Chattar and other markets, and hawkers sell it in the lanes.

Locals said that although government-backed marketing began on 15 June, many people began picking and sending mangoes out a week earlier, before they were ripe, hoping for extra profit.

Mominul Islam of Padaganj said picking began early this year because of the heat, but some people are using sprays to ripen the fruit. That is wrong, he said, and it robs Haribhanga of its true taste. Wholesaler Alam Mia said the mangoes in the orchards were ripe and the owners called him to sell, so he began buying and selling a week early.

According to the agriculture department, the target this year is about 3,500 hectares of Haribhanga in Rangpur district, of which more than 2,000 hectares have been planted. Yields are about 10 to 12 tonnes a hectare, and if all goes well sales could exceed Tk 200 crore.

Sirajul Islam, additional director of the Department of Agricultural Extension for the Rangpur region, said that although hail knocked down some Haribhanga, the yield is good and the fruit is larger, so farmers should be able to make up for it.

At the launch of Haribhanga marketing, Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ruhul Amin said Padaganj is one of the main trading places for the mango but has some infrastructure problems. "We have taken a three-year priority action plan to remove them. We are working on how to improve this market and ease the hardship of traders who come from far away. We are also trying to solve the barriers to export."

Haribhanga was recognised as a geographical indication (GI) product of Rangpur on 12 February 2024. It is no longer limited to the domestic market and is exported to Malaysia, Singapore, Pakistan, India and other countries in South and South-East Asia. At home, direct supply from orchards through Facebook and e-commerce platforms has grown several times over in recent years.

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