Amrapali mango production highest among all varieties

Just a decade ago, Fazli, Himsagar, Langra and Gopalbhog mangoes were the most popular varieties of the fruit among consumers in Bangladesh.

But now, they have been replaced by the Amrapali, or BARI Mango-3, variety.

One in every four, or 25 per cent, of all mangoes produced in the country are now of the Amrapali variety, the cultivation of which has grown at the fastest clip in the last decade.

According to data from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), some 23.5 lakh tonnes of mango were produced in fiscal year 2021-22.

Of this amount, some 600,000 tonnes were of the Amrapali variety, which is being grown in all 64 districts of the country, DAE officials said.

However, Naogaon, Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban are the four biggest producing districts.

Mawiliana Pangkhua, a mango grower in Kaptai upazila of Rangamati, said he started cultivation in 2012.

"At the beginning, I started cultivating mango of the Rangui variety. But after three years, the price of Rangui mango dropped significantly," he said.

"Initially, Rangui mango sold for Tk 600 per maund [37 kilogrammes], but the price later came down to Tk 150 to Tk 200 per maund," Pangkhua added.

It was then that he realised the demand for Amrapali mango was increasing, with the fruit being sold for Tk 1,500 to Tk 2,000 per maund.

After that, Pangkhua only planted Amrapali mango on his 5-acre farm.

"The demand for this mango is high due to its deliciousness. Last year, I sold Amrapali mango worth around Tk 5 lakh. This year, we hope to sell a total of about Tk 3.5 lakh," he said.

However, Pangkhua added that mango production has been lower this year due to less rainfall.

BARI Mango-3 is a popular mango hybrid in India developed by crossing the Dasheri and Neelum breeds.

It was introduced in Bangladesh in the 19th century. After research, the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) released it in 1996, said Mohammad Sorof Uddin, a senior scientific officer at the BARI in Gazipur.

This variety has been made widely available in markets since 2009-10. Now, Bari-3 is being cultivated in at least 30 districts, including the Rajshahi region, the major mango-producing belt.

Uddin said the sweetness of mangoes is determined by the brix percentage. Amrapali's sweetness level is around 26, which is the highest among all mangoes.

Meanwhile, the Gaurmati and Himsagar varieties are close behind.

The second characteristic of Amrapali is that this mango lasts longer than others.

"It doesn't rot easily, meaning this mango is available for a longer time during the season," Uddin added.

Mango is cultivated on 16,000 hectares of land in hilly areas of Bangladesh. Of the total acreage, some 8,000 hectares are used for growing Amrapali mango, as per DAE data.

Sohel Rana, a farmer in Sapahar upazila of Naogaon, has a 150-bigha mango orchard, of which 70 bighas have Amrapali mango trees.

"When commercial cultivation of mangoes started in our area, it was with Amrapali variety and the profit has been good," he said.

Munjer Alam, an entrepreneur in Chapainawabganj, said Amrapali is a hybrid variety that bears fruit from the second year of planting.

Besides, Amrapali mango trees take up less space compared to other breeds, meaning that more trees can be planted on less land.

"Also, there is a lot of demand from buyers. Due to these commercial reasons, there is a lot of enthusiasm among growers to cultivate this mango," he said.

"Currently, the breed is said to be sustainable, but it is not possible to say what will happen in the long run," added Alam, who cultivates Amrapali mangoes on 8 bighas of land.

BARI's Uddin said their BARI Mango-4, Kati and Banana mango varieties are gradually becoming popular as well.

Himsagar, which was second in production in fiscal 2021-22, accounted for 450,000 tonnes that year.

With Amrapali and Himsagar taking the top two spots, Runibhanga, Ashwina and Langra mangoes are other varieties that make up the top five most popular breeds.

Amrapali has been at the forefront of production for several years now.

Currently, Bangladesh is ranked 7th among mango producing countries in the world.

There are more than 72 varieties of mango in the country, about half of which are commercially produced, according to researchers.

Meanwhile, Amrapali mango exports are increasing annually, said Mohammad Arifur Rahman, director of the DAE's Exportable Mango Production project.

Some 2,100 tonnes of mango have been exported so far this year, with about 80 per cent being of the Amrapali variety, he added.