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50pc drop in mango output

Climate change blamed

Anwar Ad, Rajshahi
Mango growers fear 50 percent drop in production this year in Rajshahi region due to irregular weather pattern.
Horticulturists attributed the sharp slump in mango production to abnormal variations to the climate that has an adverse affect on the Mother Nature.
“Mango yield might drop to around 2.14 lakh tonnes from last year's average 4.28 lakh tonnes”, said M Abul Bashar, Rajshahi regional assistant director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
1 he annual average mango production is about five lakh Tonnes from over 45,000 hectares of land in eight districts including the mango capital Chapainwabganj where mango grows on the highest 22,000 hectares of land while it is about 8500 hectares in Rajshahi.
The prolonged drought due to change in the climate caused mangoes to ripen earlier, said agriculturist Dr Ittefakul Azad adding, “It eventually spoils affects the taste of mangoes”.
"About 30 percent buds are damaged during flowering while over 20 percent mangoes are lost in storm and other natural factors of ", said horticulturist SM Quamruzzaman in Natore.
Horticulturist Mohammad Mofazzal Hossain of Kollyanpur Horticulture Center in Chapainawabganj explained that a heavy dense fog instead of hot temperature in early January affected the flowering.
Most of the trees grew new leafs rather than buds and buds in huge quantity were ruined as the chill continued and scanty rain fall since October prolonged the drought affect-
ing the mango yields, he said.
“Mango production was the worst hit by the climate change this year,” he added.
Mango growers in Chapainawabganj have their own words for explaining climate change. “We are cursed with Moha this year”, said 55-year-old mango grower MA Mazid Fazlu at Kansat.
Horticulturists explained that Moha is a kind of disease appears in the form of mould on leaves. It happens specially when the mist shrouds the nature during summer nights, another change in the weather pattern.
They said that adequate rainfall could save mango trees from this kind of disease.
This correspondent found mango growers worried in Chapainawabganj and Rajshahi as the number of trees bearing fruits is inadequate.
The largest mango markets at Kansat, Bholahat and Sona Mosque roadsides were vacant and a very' few traders were found waiting for buy-ers at Sadarghat in Chapainawabganj town.
“A week of the Jaistha has already elapsed and we are yet to take mangoes to the markets as weather changed the harvesting schedule", said Shawkat Ali, a mango trader.
“I can hardly expect 60 mounds now from the orchards where 300 maunds were yielded last year", said Shahidul Islam at Kansat.
However, at Baneswar market in Rajshahi. Guti mangoes were being sold at Tk 800 to Tk 1000 while Gopalbhog in between Tk 1600 and Tk 1700 per mound
“1 am wondering if I can manage to get half the profit of last year”, said Bulbul Islam, a college student and seasonal mango trader at Baneswar.
They is doing very little about the adverse effects of climate change on this sector that where a huge number of people find their livelihood especially during the summer season.
Rajshahi regional DAE chief admitted the fact and said it is due the priority given to staple crops paddy and wheat.