Mir khairul alam, Satkhira:

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Satkhira has set up a target for 60,000 metric tons of mango production this year. If the weather remains favourable, the production may be increased further.

Sources said, Satkhira is now filled with the sweet scent of mango buds. Mango buds are swaying on the trees with the wind. The fragrant scent of those buds is spreading everywhere. In the district and upazila towns or villages, mango trees of everywhere have adorned with their buds focusing golden color.

According to the information of the Agriculture Department, there are 5,000 mango orchards in several upazilas of the Satkhira district. Mangoes are produced on at least 4,180 hectares of land. The DAE in Satkhira has set a target for 60,000 metric tons of mango production this year with a hope of transaction at about Tk 360 crore in this sector.

Field-level mango farmers in different areas of the district said that, their mango orchards are getting abuzz with buds. Almost 95 percent of the mango trees have been bloomed with new buds. Mangoes including Langra, Gopalbhog, Himsagar, Lata, Ashwina, Gobindobhog, Kalibhog, Amrapali are also main among many other varieties.

Mango farmers said that, they are taking various suggestions from the Agriculture Extension Department to protect the buds from dropout. Buds appear in Satkhira gardens at least 15-20 days before the gardens in Rajshahi region. As a result, mangoes in Satkhira also get ripening 25-20 days before compared to the Rajshahi region. Due to this, there is a different type of demand for Satkhira’s mangoes in the market.

Several mango farmers including Ayub Hossain, Anwarul Islam, Pathik Hossain, Faruk Hossain and Rabiul Islam said that, mango trees need to take care before buds appearing. After appearance of buds, there are needed to spray water and pesticides to the buds of different gardens to preserve them.

Saiful Islam, DD of DAE in Satkhira said, “We are monitoring the orchards with the view to protect the buds in which mango farmers get bumper yield. We are also proving necessary advices to them to make them more skilled in this context.”

‘If no natural disaster hits, gardeners will get a bumper production this year,’ he hoped.