Mango Farmers Go to Agriculture Minister to Stop Traders' Manipulation
Mango farmers in Chapainawabganj have petitioned the agriculture minister to stop wholesalers forcing them to sell 52-54 kg of mangoes as one maund.
Mango farmers in Chapainawabganj have petitioned the agriculture minister to stop wholesalers forcing them to sell 52-54 kg of mangoes as one maund.
Bangladesh has exported 2,700 tonnes of mangoes so far this year, about 1,000 tonnes more than last year, with the United Kingdom the largest buyer.
Chapainawabganj's Ashwina mango recently won geographical indication status, but this year farmers cannot recover their production costs from selling it.
Thanks to Amrapali and BARI varieties, mangoes are still plentiful in Dhaka's markets in August, though prices are rising as the season lengthens.
Nachole grower Rafiqul Islam sent one tonne of Gourmati mangoes to Sweden, adding to about 10 tonnes he has exported this year.
Naogaon is famous for its mangoes, but only Sapahar upazila exports them, and growers say government support would let them earn far more.
BARI-7 mangoes are fetching the highest price at Kansat, Chapainawabganj's biggest mango market, though less than last year.
With mango season under way, here is a simple egg-free recipe for mango pudding made with ripe mango, milk and agar agar.
Growers at Kansat in Chapainawabganj say traders are passing off Amrapali mangoes from other districts as local fruit, deceiving buyers, while agriculture officials see an upside.
A young garments businessman in Tongibari, Munshiganj, who planted mango trees to give his family formalin-free fruit, now runs a three-acre commercial orchard with 20 to 25 varieties.
A large mango market has grown up in the border upazila of Sapahar, trading about Tk 25 crore of mangoes a day, but growers complain they are not getting fair prices.
More than 500 mango saplings have been distributed to educational institutions in Shayestaganj, Habiganj, at the initiative of Barrister Syed Sayedul Haque Sumon.
After its famous lychees, Dinajpur is sending mangoes to England for the first time, from two orchards in Biral upazila.