The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rajshahi

Record number of flowers have appeared in mango trees in the region especially in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts.

Before disappearing winter season, buds started appearing on mango trees in greater Rajshahi, the region producing the most delicious mangoes in the country.

Talking to BSS, agronomists, experts and farmers said the climatic condition prevailing here has been adjudged as suitable for the mango farming and around 95 per cent mango trees have already bloomed.

The farmers have been taking extensive preparations to make the farming a complete success and they are very busy in taking care of their trees at present.

Dr. Golam Mourtoza, Principal Scientific Officer of Regional Horticulture Research Centre (RHRC), Chapainawabganj, said most of the mango trees in Chapainawabganj district have produced flowers during the current season due to favourable weather though the current season is the off year for mango production.

He said that if the weather during the next few months remains congenial, the total mango production from the blossomed trees would be to a desired level despite the coming summer as the 'off season' for mango production, which is to decline this year for natural reason compared to the last year's harvest.

Dr. Golam Murtoza, however, attributed the main problems causing declining in mango production to fluctuation of temperature, excessive rainfall or fog, attack by pests and insects and inclement weather.

"We are witnessing that the young trees are more florescence initiation along with budding than the older ones," he said.

According to the statistics revealed by Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), there are around 25 lakh mango trees of different ages on some 30 thousand hectares of land in the region with creation of many small and medium size mango orchards for the last couple of years.

Mango, the king of all fruits, has been treated as an important seasonal cash crop of the northwestern region, especially in the two districts, where the economy largely depends on the volume of its production.

It has a great economic importance in the region and a large number of people are engaged in different jobs from nursing to harvesting and packing for transportation and trading during the mango season every year.

Asim Kumar Malakar, Deputy Director of Chapainawabganj DAE said the region has long been producing more than 100 varieties of mangoes, including the sweetest ones like Gopalbhog, Langra, Fazli, Khirsapat, Mohanbhog and Lakhna.

"Most of the trees producing varieties of mangoes in the country as alternate bearing which means, one year's production is less than the previous year's bumper production," Asim Kumar said.

He also said mango-growers are habituated in producing the native varieties in traditional methods instead of using scientific system to grow newly developed varieties.

He, however, urged concerned scientists and researchers to come forward with more practical works to help massive cultivation of both exotic and locally developed alternate bearing varieties in the country.