Though there is available land for cultivation of mango in Rajshahi district, the fruit production in the district may be impeded this year due to erratic weather condition, several storms during the flowering of mango buds, a less sprouting of buds compared to that of last year in mango orchards and impact of black smoke and ashes of brick kilns on the mango trees.
According to sources, in the same mango orchard, huge sprouting of mango flowers was seen in some trees but some other trees remained bare.
However, horticulturists in Rajshahi informed the time for sprouting of mango buds has not yet gone and there would be a satisfactory production of mango if even no more buds appear in rest of the mango trees.
Meanwhile, there was a huge damage of mango buds in the mild to moderate storm and rainfall on Wednesday and a week earlier. Moreover, mango farmers of the district are also worried for smooth growth and a bumper production of mango due to impact of black smoke billowing from the chimneys of the brick kilns. Most of the brick kilns of the district are, however, situated at the mango growing upazilas of the district because mango trees grow well on elevated and hard land. So the land is suitable for brick kilns.
Delowar Hossain, a mango farmer of Maskatadighi area under Kantakhali Municipality, said there are two brick kilns near the mango orchards of the area. The smoke from the brick kilns damages mango buds and young mangoes of his orchards every year. He has nothing to do because the owners of the brick kilns are influential persons. He said due to impact of climate change, there would be a severe damage to mango production.
However, due to a low price of paddy and other cereals for a long time, many farmers of Rajshahi have turned their cultivable land into mango orchards in the recent years.
Shamsul Haque, deputy director of DAE said so far a favourable weather has been prevailing for mango. Though there was mild storm and rain fall recently, it is not unusual during the mango budding season. He also added, illegal brick field owners have been warned to remove their brick kilns from near the mango orchards. He further said mango of Rajshahi is not only famous in the country but it is being exported to various European countries.
Dr. Alim Uddin, Chief Scientific Officer of Horticulture Research Centre in Rajshahi informed the mango orchards are gradually expanding in the district. This year mango has been cultivated on 17,500 hectares of land whereas last year it was on nearly 17,000 hectares. The target of mango production of the district has been fixed at 0.293 million tonnes.
He further informed, most of the trees in the district have been flowered or in the flowering stage and if the weather condition remains favourable, there will be a bumper production of mango this year.
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