Early fruiting kindles hope of plentiful mango harvest

Early signs of mango fruiting have begun to appear in orchards across the Rajshahi region, raising hopes of a bountiful harvest this season.

In the first week of March, small mango fruits-locally known as 'guti'-have been spotted on several trees, while most orchards are still covered with blossoms.

Farmers say that the presence of blossoms on almost all trees this year has created optimism about higher production.

On the contrary, early morning fog and fluctuating temperatures are causing concern among growers.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), a target has been set to cultivate mangoes on 92,552 hectares of land across four districts-Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon and Natore-this season. The region currently has about 349.6 million mango trees, with a production target of nearly 1.25 million tonnes.

A visit to several orchards in Godagari and Paba upazilas of Rajshahi showed that many trees have already started producing small fruits, while others are still in the flowering stage.

Shamim Akhter, a mango grower from Balanagar village in Paba upazila, said all of his trees have blossomed this season. Some trees still have flowers while others have already developed small fruits. If the weather remains favourable, we expect a good harvest.

However, he expressed concern over market prices. Last year mango prices were not satisfactory. Even if production is good, the market price will determine whether farmers will benefit.

Another grower, Shafiqul Islam from Bagha upazila, who supplies mangoes to exporters, said the condition of orchards is encouraging this year. Almost every tree has produced blossoms and some already have small fruits. But fog in the early morning could damage the blossoms if it persists.

Sohel Rana, who manages an orchard of about 200 bighas of land in the same area, said nearly all his trees have flowered. "I take care of the trees throughout the year. This time almost every tree has produced blossoms, and some have already developed fruits. If weather conditions remain favourable, we hope for a good yield," he said.

Farmers also reported the presence of hopper insects in some orchards. The pest attacks mango blossoms and can cause them to fall prematurely. Orchard owners are using pesticides to control the infestation.

Dr Azizur Rahman, additional director of the DAE in the Rajshahi region, said mango trees typically follow an "on year-off year" cycle, where high production in one year is followed by relatively lower production the next. Usually about 20 per cent of trees bear fruit every alternate year. But this season appears somewhat exceptional, as blossoms have appeared on almost all trees. However, he added that trees that produced heavily last year may bear fewer fruits this year.

Dr Shafiqul Islam, chief scientific officer at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), said mango is a summer fruit that prefers warm weather. The ideal temperature for flowering and early fruit formation is around 15-20 degrees Celsius. But currently daytime temperatures are reaching around 30 degrees Celsius while nighttime temperatures drop to about 13 degrees.

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