Jessore’s mango orchards are adorned with golden buds; The farmers of this region are now spending busy time tending the trees to protect the buds.
Pesticides are given to the trees periodically to protect the yield from insect and fungal attack. Farmers are hoping to create a “record” production of mangoes this year due to more buds.
In the villages of Sharsha, apart from the garden, all the mango trees in the courtyards and ponds are filled with buds of different varieties of mangoes including Himsagar, Govinda Bhog, Amrapali, Fazli and Langra.
The agriculture department said that more than two thousand mango farmers in Sharsha upazila have cultivated mango on at least seven thousand bigha of land.
Sharsha Upazila Agriculture Officer Pratap Kumar Mondal said, “Compared to the last few years, this year the trees of this region have produced a lot of buds. A ‘bumper’ yield of mangoes is possible if the weather is favorable and the buds are protected from various insect attacks.”
He said that there are 3 thousand 144 mango orchards of different varieties including Himsagar, Langra, Fazli, Gopalbhog, Amrapali, Rupali, Mallika in Sharsha upazila.
At least 20,000 people are seasonally employed in the mango business in this region, Pratap said, adding, “Mango farmers are constantly taking care of keeping the bud, bringing the fruit, stopping the fruit drop and protecting the fruit from insect attack.”
Amchashi Israfil Hossain told bdnews24.com, “Now is the time to protect the buds. If we cannot protect the garden from insects and fungi, we have to sit on the road. We are proceeding with caution.”
Noor Islam of Bagachra Matpara cultivated ‘Baromasi’ mangoes in 9 bigha of land. Out of this, 3 bighas of ‘Katimon’ and 6 bighas of ‘Bari-11’ variety of mangoes have been cultivated.
He is dreaming of selling three lakh taka mangoes by spending one lakh taka.