Because of its geography and weather, Satkhira's mangoes ripen at the start of the mango season in Bangladesh. Their early arrival and taste give them strong demand in the domestic market, and in the past few years mangoes from several Satkhira orchards have been exported to various European countries.

But to catch the early market, some unscrupulous traders ripen immature mangoes with chemicals and sell them early. This harms the district's reputation for mangoes and cheats buyers who end up with toxic fruit. The Satkhira district administration and law enforcers have taken to the field to stop them, and several thousand kilograms of chemically ripened immature mangoes have already been seized and destroyed in drives across the district.

Under this year's instructions from the Satkhira district administration, in the first phase Gobindabhog, Gopalbhog, Bombai, Golapkhas, Baishakhi and several other varieties will reach the market from 12 May. After that, orchard owners may pick and sell Himsagar from 25 May, Langra from 1 June and Amrapali from 15 June.

Mango farmers suffered heavy losses from natural disasters in the past few years, and this year's bumper crop in Satkhira had raised their hopes. But they are now struggling to protect their orchards in the ongoing heatwave. Some mangoes are dropping from the trees, and farmers are busy watering the base of the trees and tending them to stop the fruit drop.

Anisur Rahman of the Baganbari area of Satkhira town has 10 orchards on 30 bighas this year; two are his own and the rest are leased. He told Jagonews that favourable weather had produced a big crop. If there is no natural disaster, he expects to sell mangoes worth Tk 20 lakh this year. But the lack of rain and the intense heat of the past few days are causing many mangoes to drop, which has left him somewhat worried.

Shafiqul Islam, an orchard owner in the Batkekhali area, told Jagonews he had leased and is tending a 5-bigha orchard this year, and every tree is heavily laden. He first sold several maunds of early Guti mangoes raw, will sell Gobindabhog and Gopalbhog a little later, then Himsagar and Langra, and finally Amrapali. But fearing a disaster in May, he wants to market his mangoes a week before the set date.

Agriculturist Md Saiful Islam, deputy director of the DAE office (Khamarbari) in Satkhira, told Jagonews that the agriculture department is giving farmers all kinds of help and advice to stop mango drop caused by the lack of rain and extreme heat.

He said the production target for the district's seven upazilas is 45,000 tonnes on 4,115 hectares. Last year 100 tonnes of mangoes from Satkhira were exported to Europe and several other countries, and about 200 tonnes are due to be exported this year. Several orchards selected in advance for export have been prepared according to the rules.

He said harmful chemicals (carbide) are used on immature mangoes, which are harmful to the human body. The agriculture department and district administration have already announced that no mango may be picked in Satkhira before 12 May. Anyone who picks mangoes before the set time, or markets immature mangoes treated with carbide or chemicals, will face legal action.

Satkhira Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Humayun Kabir said the marketing dates were set at a meeting with orchard owners, agriculture officials and all other parties. Anyone who markets immature mangoes ripened with carbide or chemicals before the set date will face strict legal action, and the sale of ripe mangoes in all markets of the district has been banned until then.

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