Md. Mizanur Rahman, Chapainawabganj: Chapainawabganj, the country’s mango capital, is facing a potential fruit failure this year due to the relentless heat wave. Mangoes are falling from the trees in the intense heat. To deal with the situation, the farmers applied irrigation and pesticide spray to the mango trees, but it was not working. If this situation continues, the farmers are afraid of a severe mango yield disaster in the district.
This year is already an off year in mango production, a year of low yield. On top of that, the adverse weather is not leaving the mango farmers behind. Early in the season, mango buds were late due to overwintering; It had rained at the time of budding. As a result, many buds are lost and the mangoes are less. Farmers and garden owners did not laugh at this. And now the mangoes are falling in intense heat. As a result, they are worried about the mango yield.
Mango orchards in several areas of the district were visited, small mangoes scattered under the trees. In other years, the size of the mangoes is quite large at this time, but due to the lack of rain, the mangoes were not so big this time.
Abul Kalam, a farmer of Shibganj area, said, “This time, due to winter, the buds have come late. Then it rained, which damaged the buds. As a result of the heat that is going on now, the mangoes on the trees are also falling. In this situation, we are afraid that the production of mangoes will decrease and we will face financial loss.
Deputy Director of District Agriculture Extension Department. Palash Sarkar said, ‘Mango buds have decreased in our Chapainawabganj this time. It has been observed that in February and March there is heavy fog in the morning; It hurts. It rained again, and there was a light storm; In this the mango trees which were at budding stage were destroyed by the rain. Now the intense heat is going on. Mangoes are falling in it. There is also a risk of hailstorm, Kalbaisakhi storm ahead. As a result, the desired yield we want may not be.
According to the agriculture department, mango cultivation has been done in 37 thousand 604 hectares of land in Chapainawabganj district this season. And from this, the target of mango production in the district has been set at 4 lakh 50 thousand metric tons. Last season mango production in the district was 4 lakh 43 thousand 625 metric tons.