District administration in Rajshahi yesterday scheduled the date for beginning mango harvest on May 15, although growers in orchards say mangoes would not ripe until at least the end of the month.
Mango growers can harvest Guti variety of mangoes from May 15 and other varieties successively.
The harvest date for Gopalbhog mangoes was fixed on May 20; Ranipasand and Laxmanbhog on May 25; Khirsapat or Himsagar on May 28; Lengra on June 6; Amrapali, Fazli and Surma Fazli on June 16; and Ashwina varieties on July 1.
The date for harvesting three varieties of Guti, Gopalbhog, and Laukhna or Laxmanbhog were fixed at least five days earlier than last years, Rajshahi’s Deputy Commissioner SM Abdul Kader said.
Guti mangoes were harvested on May 20 last year, Gopalbhog on May 25 and Laxmanbhog on June 1, he said.
The announcement came after the district administration held a meeting at the DC’s conference room, where they faced pressure from public representatives and mango producers to set the harvest date ahead of time.
Most public representatives and mango producers present at the meeting opined for not setting any date. They argued that all mangoes do not ripe at a time, and ripening of the fruit depends on the weather.
“In case of continuous heat wave that is currently sweeping over the region, the mangoes will ripen quickly,” said Shawkat Ali, a mango producer and Bhaya Laxmikul union chairman. “And in case of rainfall, the ripening will delay,” he said.
Officials of Department of Agricultural Extension, Rajshahi Fruit Research Centre and a few mango producers, however, opined for setting a date. They said it was necessary for checking unlawful practices of harvesting unripe mangoes and ripening those using chemicals.
The DC then told the audience that if the mango producers do not want to set a date of harvest, mango growers are likely to witness frequent drives of the mobile courts to orchards.
At this, the opposing mango producers drew back from their demand, and proposed that they would agree if the dates are set a few days ahead of time. They argued there are many mango trees that are ready for early harvest.
Khairul Islam, a mango orchard owner of Godagari upazila who was present at the meeting, said his mangoes would not be ready for harvest before end of May.
“None of my Gopalbhog and Khirsapat mangoes will ripe in the next 20 days,” Anisur Rahman, a mango grower of Bagha told this correspondent when contacted yesterday.
He, however said those who have very old mango trees are likely to witness early ripening of the fruit, but those mangoes also need at least a week more to be ready for harvest.
He said he is likely to harvest his Khirsapat mangoes after Eid in early June, while Lengra variety would be harvested two weeks after that.
Source: Rajshahi, The Daily Star