Season’s first mangoes hit the Rajshahi markets

The air was rich with a sweet aroma at Baneshwar, the largest mango market in Rajshahi, yesterday as the season's first Guti, Gopalbhog, and Lakkhanbhog started arriving from all over the region.

With the beginning of the eagerly awaited mango season, traders expressed hope for promising weeks of abundance and trade despite a slow first day.

Depending on quality, Guti mangoes were selling at Tk 800-1,500, Gopalbhog at Tk 1,500-2,400, and Lakkhanbhog at Tk 600-700 per maund.

While harvest of only the Guti variety of mangoes was scheduled to start from yesterday, other popular varieties, including Gopalbhog and Lakkhanbhog, also hit the market.

As per the Department of Agricultural Extension guidelines, Gopalbhog is to be harvested from May 20 and Lakkhanbhog from May 25.

Regarding the early arrival of these varieties, mango growers and traders said the harvest began early due to excessive heat and lack of rain, which caused many mangoes to ripen ahead of schedule.

Rajshahi DAE's Additional Deputy Director (Horticulture) Sabina Begum said, "This year, the heat has been unusually intense, causing mangoes to ripen earlier than expected. When farmers asked for permission to harvest those mangoes, we granted it, considering the weather conditions and their situation."

Sanaul Islam, a mango grower, said, "This year's yield is not significantly higher than last year. We hope the prices will remain good."

He said it was important to harvest mangoes at the right time to avoid chemical ripening practices.

Md Liton, another grower from the market, said, "Due to intense heat this year, mangoes ripened faster than usual. There hasn't been much rain either, so the fruit size is smaller and can't be left on the trees for too long."

Trader Mohammad Majel said, "Today's market looked promising. I sold Guti mangoes at Tk 1,200 per maund. Since harvesting has just started, the supply is still low, but we expect a surge from tomorrow [Friday]."