Picking and marketing of mature mangoes from Satkhira's orchards has begun in the first phase. From 5 May, growers and traders started picking and marketing early varieties including Gobindabhog and Gopalbhog.

Under the set mango calendar, the first phase of picking was due on 12 May, but this was later revised to 5 May. In the first phase, the district administration has allowed several varieties to be picked, including Gobindabhog, Gopalbhog, Bombai, Golapkhas and Boishakhi. After permission was given, growers and traders picked mangoes from orchards across the district from the morning and sold them at Sultanpur Baro Bazar and other wholesale markets.

Under the district administration's directions, Himsagar may be picked and marketed from 10 May, Langra from 18 May and Amrapali from 28 May in the next phases.

Mango growers and traders in the district, however, are angry about the dates set by the district administration. They allege that by setting dates at will, the Satkhira mango market has been deliberately ruined this year, and that marginal growers are being ruined by the mango calendar published jointly by the district administration and the district agriculture office.

Growers said that in 2021 picking of Gopalbhog and Gobindabhog was allowed from 2 May, but this time the district administration put it back by 10 days to 12 May. Himsagar could be picked from 15 May last year but has been set for 25 May this year, and Amrapali has been pushed back by 11 days, to 15 June instead of 4 June.

Abu Sufian, who has grown mangoes on 60 bighas this year, told Jago News angrily: "Satkhira mangoes reach the Dhaka market at the start of the season. But this time the marketing dates for Satkhira mangoes were deliberately pushed back to boost the market for Rajshahi mangoes. Satkhira mangoes start ripening 15 to 20 days before Rajshahi's, yet this time picking was allowed in Rajshahi and Satkhira at almost the same time. As a result most of the mangoes ripened and fell from the trees, and some were destroyed in a storm. Because Rajshahi mangoes are in the Dhaka market, Satkhira mangoes have to be sold cheaply."

Mango trader Shafiqul Islam said he had bought 40 mango orchards this year for several lakh taka. The Gobindabhog mangoes in five of them had ripened, but he could not get them to market in time and suffered heavy financial losses. Mangoes that sold for Tk 70 to Tk 80 a kg last year have to be sold at Tk 45 a kg this year, he said.

According to the district agriculture department, 13,100 growers have planted mangoes on 4,115 hectares in the district this year: 1,235 hectares in Sadar upazila, 655 in Kalaroa, 715 in Tala, 370 in Debhata, 835 in Kaliganj, 145 in Assasuni and 160 in Shyamnagar. The production target has been set at 45,500 metric tonnes.

Satkhira Department of Agricultural Extension deputy director Agriculturist Saiful Islam told Jago News: "If mangoes ripen in any orchard before the set date, they can be marketed with the permission of the upazila administration through the agriculture officer concerned."

He said: "The mango calendar was made because it had to be. Basically there are some dishonest traders in the district who pick mangoes unripe and market them. That is why a preliminary date for picking mangoes was set jointly by the district administration and the district agriculture department."

Satkhira Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Humayun Kabir told Jago News that legal action will be taken against any trader or grower who picks and markets immature mangoes before the set time.

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