Satkhira mango traders are hoping to grab the UK’s export market this year as the process of mango production has begun smoothly amid favourable climatic condition predicting bumper production of the fruit.
According to Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) sources, the fruit has been cultivated on 3825-hectare land with a target of 53,000 tonne production.
In 2015, the fruit was cultivated on 3621-hectare land and the production was 50,000 tonne.
The traders hope they will export 150 tonne mangoes this year where they exported only 23 tonne in 2015.
The fruit setting stage is progressing now well and the tress started wearing eye-catching looks in the orchards, gardens and homestead areas.
According to official sources in the DAE, and the Horticulture Centres of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), over 85 percent mango trees have bloomed during this season on an average.
Abdul Mannan, deputy director of the DAE, said the fruit setting stathe supermarkets of the United Kingdom ge was progressing well and farmers were contacting the officials and experts to take extensive care for better production.
He suggested that the farmers nurse their orchards at this stage and control pests’ attacks.
According the sources of USIV, a local NGO, there are about 21,000 fruit-giving mango trees in the districts and the number continues increasing every yearthe supermarkets of the United Kingdom following expansion of commercial mango cultivation.
They are helping the farmers to be trained up for growing healthy fruits.
The farmers have been showing more interests on commercial cultivation of the sweetest mangoes like gopalbhog, lengra, fazlee, nakfazlee, khirsapati, mohanbhog, chyatapori, haribhanga and lakhna in 60 orchards, added the NGO sources.
Satkhira Chambers of Commerce president Nasim Faruk Khan Mithu said they had already informed the FBCCI about the matter so that the export could be in easy process.
Rowsan Ali, president of Borobazar Kitchen Market Owners’ Association, said: “We are alert so that no one can taint the fruits with chemical.”
Deputy Commissioner Abul Kashem Mohammad Mohiuddin said: “We have taken all kind of measures to help the traders who will export the fruits in the UK.”
According a previous report, Bangladesh in 2015 started exporting mangoes for the first time to the supermarkets of the United Kingdom creating a huge commercial prospect for growers to get higher prices of their best quality harvest.
First shipment of mango export in the year entered the Walmart Chain Shop in UK, which was the first export of Bangladesh’s mangoes to mainstream international supermarket.