ZCZC
BSS-12
MANGO-TRADING-CLOSURE (with picture)
Mango trading on closing stage in two northern districts
RAJSHAHI, Aug 16, 2020 (BSS) – After around three month-long brisk business, the mango trading is now on the verge of closing stage amid a sky-high price in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj, the two districts famous for mango production.
Currently, on the last stage of the mango business, four varieties namely Fazly, Bariam-4, Amropaly and Aswina are being sold at different markets in the two districts.
Fazly mango is being sold at around Taka 12,000 per mound on an average while Bariam-4 at Taka 10,000, Amropaly at Taka 9,500 and Aswina at Taka 5,000.
According to the directive of the local district administration, the growers and traders had started selling some native varieties from May 15, Gopalbhog from May 20, Ranipachand from May 25, Khirshapat from May 28, Langra from June 6, Amrupaly from June 15 and other varieties subsequently.
Earlier this season, many people apprehended that the mango business might be affected in wake of the adverse impact of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic but that did not happen in reality.
Mango trading had gained peak with exorbitant prices in different markets of Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts with the appearance of several varieties of the seasonal fruit despite the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the season.
“We have sold 30 mounds of mangoes with Taka 3,000 to 3,500 per mound on an average every day,” said Jamal Uddin, a mango trader of Shaheb Bazar. Besides, large quantities of mangoes were sent to other places in the country including capital Dhaka from Rajshahi, Naogaon and Chapainawabganj by passenger-coaches, trains, trucks and private vehicles every day.
Trading of mango through online had also gained a peak everywhere in the region benefitting both the sellers and buyers.
Business on online platforms has reached the mangoes towards the doorsteps of the buyers amid the pandemic situation.
Many of the young entrepreneurs in the region sold mango through online after the best uses of facebook and WhatsApp like various social media.
With this, employment scopes for many people have been generated on one hand and the mango growers got fair prices on the other hand.
The consumers got formalin-free and fresh mango according to their demands timely.
For the first time, the West Zone of Bangladesh Railway has operated a special parcel train on Chapainawabgonj-Dhaka route via Rajshahi for transporting mangoes to Dhaka at a lower cost for welfare of the mango traders and farmers amid the Covid-19 pandemic situation.
The cargo train carried a maximum 225 tonnes of mangoes in six wagons every day. So, farmers and traders can transport goods at their will. It costs Tk 1.17 to carry a kilogram of mango to Dhaka from Rajshahi. And it is Tk 1.30 from Chapainawabganj to Dhaka.
The post and telecommunication ministry had also arranged a truck of the postal department to transport mangoes to Dhaka free of cost.
Bangladesh Postal Department under its ‘farmers-friendly postal services’ programme transported the mangoes of marginal and small farmers and traders.
Sudhendra Nath Roy, additional director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), said there are more than 2.60 lakh mango growers and orchard owners in the region comprising Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Natore and Naogaon districts.
Around 1.30 lakh people were engaged in various activities related to mango harvesting, segregating, packaging, transporting and marketing.
He added that the DAE had set a target of harvesting around ten lakh tonnes of mangoes from 80,360 hectares of land in the region this season while last year’s production was 8,31,940 tonnes from 72,909 hectares of land.
BSS/SPL/AH/GMR/1525 hrs