Mango flowering starts early in Rajshahi

Although there are couple of weeks more to an ending winter, some of the mango trees have started sprouting early in Rajshahi region.

Mango trees are sprouting early at various places like Vatapara, Gourhanga, Bheripara, Police line, Malopara, Meherchandi and Bhadra in the city. But extent of flowering is comparatively less than that of the normal time.

Selim Reza, 48, a mango trader of Rustampur village under Bagha upazila, said that the farmers are seen very busy in nursing mango trees at present to protect the flowering from dropping.

Usually, he adds, mango buds are not seen to sprout so early amid the cold temperature rather the blooming of mango buds in some early varieties are seen to occur during the last week of January and continues to do so till middle of March.

Abdul Matin, a resident of Premtali village, said mango buds are not seen to sprout at this time. Even, an early variety buds during the last week of January. He said impact of global climate change might be a cause of such early budding of mango trees.

Shamsul Alam, deputy director of Department of Agriculture Extension, said flower sprouts in some trees early every year. The flower has started appearing this year also. If the current sprouting were not affected by any dense fog early the farmers can derive the benefits of early harvest.

There are around 3.5 million mango trees of different ages over some 23 thousand hectares of land in the region.

Dr Alim Uddin, principal scientific officer of Rajshahi Horticulture Research Institute, said budding of BARI-11 variety of mango is seen budded at an early time.

He said for the last one decade it has been noticed from some places of the country that mango is budding early.

Dr Alim said mangoes grown through such early budding are usually tasty and sweet to consume but those contain added fibre.

The weather of the region seems suitable for smooth sprouting of mango buds so far and due to non-emergence much new leaves on the trees, there is a possibility of huge budding of mango trees this year.

If the weather remains favourable, there would be abundant production of mango in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts, famous for mango production.

The number of growing mango trees has been increasing in the region for the last couple of years following greater interest among the people. Mango, the leading seasonal cash crop of the northwestern region, vitalises the overall economy of Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts, reports BSS.

Farming of mango has been increasing every year and the gardeners are earning substantial profits by cultivating high yielding and hybrid varieties of mango like Amrapali along with the traditional and popular indigenous varieties.

The farmers and villagers of the region have been showing more interests in mango farming in recent years with a view to increasing its productions and achieving economic well-being.