Online Desk : Juicy and delicious mango fruit started appearing in the markets of Rajshahi city and its adjacent areas as its harvesting began since this (Wednesday) morning, abiding by the instructions of local administration, reports BSS.

Like the previous years, some of the indigenous varieties have appeared in the markets as farmers and traders have started harvesting mangoes since the morning following the instruction.

The district administration has fixed the date in a meeting related to mango harvesting, transportation, marketing and market monitoring held at the conference hall of Deputy Commissioner (DC) recently.

In the meeting chaired by DC Shamim Ahmed, a mango calendar was also announced to ensure safe, poison-free and ripened mango in the markets.

Farmers can harvest the local and indigenous varieties from today, while `Gopalbhog` from May 25, `Ranipachhand` and `Lakhna` from May 25 and `Himsagar` or `Khirshapat` from May 30.

They can also harvest `Lengra` from June 10, `Amropali` and `Fazly` from June 15, `BARI Aam-4` from July 5, `Ashwina` from July 10, `Gourmati` from July 15 and `Ilamati` from August 20.

Umme Shalma, deputy director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), told BSS that most of the mangoes will mature and ripen within the stipulated time and then those could be harvested normally.

She said some of the indigenous varieties of mangoes have already ripened. But the other delicious and famous varieties- -Gopalbhog, Khirshapat and Langra -- need some more days to be ripened.

District administration is closely monitoring the harvesting of mangoes in addition to extending all necessary facilities to the farmers and traders for harvesting and marketing of the seasonal fruits.

Deputy Commissioner Shamim Ahmed urged all concerned to follow the time-frame of mango harvesting for the sake of public interests.

Officials said mangoes have been cultivated on 26,150 hectares of areas in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts where it is expected to yield 2,44,000 tonnes of mangoes this year.

Mango groves were also nurtured on 12,671 hectares of land in Naogaon district where the target was fixed to produce 1,61,242 tonnes of mangoes while Natore district is expected to produce 56,021 tonnes of mangoes on 4,823 hectares of land.

Meanwhile, Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts, nationwide famous for mango production, have set the target to export 300 tonnes of mango to different
European and Middle East countries during the current harvesting season.

To achieve the target, mangoes are being fruit bagged after the best use of modern technologies in the two districts at present. Apart from this, the best quality mangoes are being produced for export to foreign countries.

President of Rajshahi Agro Food Producer Society Anwarul Huque said mangoes produced in Rajshahi are being exported to various European and many other countries for the last couple of years, which is good news for Rajshahi people.

He also said mango farming in the fruit-bagging method has gradually been rising here for the last couple of years. If the mango is cultivated through this method there is no need to use pesticide to prevent fruit-fly. As a result, mango remained in poison-free condition.

He said many farmers and value chain actors got the necessary training on best agricultural practices and with that, they started exploring the high-value export
markets.

The highest quantity of mango was exported in 2016. Mango export has almost become double profitable than that of selling in local markets. But additional cost and care is needed for preparing the exportable mango as it requires use of modern technologies.