The mango farmers in Rajshahi were primarily optimistic about a better harvest after heavy sprouting since the second week of March, but now they fear the other way around mainly due to excessive heat and lack of rainfall.
Due to the heatwave, the prevailing drought is worsening the situation there.
Compared to the sprouts in mango orchards in Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon and Natore, the mango buds are fewer this year.
Stakeholders say mango gardens cover 93,266 hectares of land in the four districts where more than 1.27 million tons of the mouth-watering fruit of different varieties were produced last year.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set the target to harvest 1.25 million tons of mango this year.
Aminul Haq, a mango farmer at Rajshahi’s Charghat Upazila who cultivated mango in a 10-bigha garden, said mango buds are either falling off or rotting randomly.
“I was hopeful with whatever sprouting occurred. But the mango trees are getting deserted,” he lamented.
Shafiqul Islam Sana, a mango grower in the district’s Bagha Upazila, recalled that he sold mangoes worth Tk1 crore last year.
“I even exported 26 tons of mangoes,” said Sana, who has cultivated mangoes on 300 bighas of land this season.
“Given the situation, it is already presumed that the mango production this year will be much lower than expected,” he added.
Claiming that 70% of the trees he cultivated had sprouted, Chapainawabganj’s Mizanur Rahman said that the rains on March 20 and 21 massively affected the sprouts and young buds.
“The buds that survived the rainfall now face a continued heatwave,” said Mizan, a farmer from the district's Shibganj Upazila.
Mizan suspects that he may fail to recoup the production costs.
Farmers say regular irrigation and use of insecticide are not even working.
What the officials say
Mokhlesur Rahman, chief scientific officer of the Regional Horticulture Research Centre, Chapainawabganj, suggested that farmers become more careful about catering to the mango trees during droughts.
They have to ensure irrigation and use of repellents regularly in such a situation, he added.
Admitting to the crisis, Chapainawabganj DAE Deputy Director Palash Sarker said fewer sprouting and budding have been reported in the district.
“So, we’re considering this season to be an ‘off’ one,” he said.
Md Mahmudul Faruk, additional director of the DAE, Rajshahi region, said that Naogaon witnessed heavy sprouting this year compared to that in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj.
“The trees that grew a great deal of mangoes last year will see a fall in production this season,” he added.
“Usually, 20% of mango trees sprout every alternative year. But the trend does not badly affect the annual production.
Md Shafiqul Islam, principal scientific officer of Rajshahi Fruit Research Station of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, blamed drought for the production debacle. He said a special species of pollinating flies was hardly noticed this year.
However, he is hopeful about a satisfactory production next year.
