Naogaon has joined the ranks of Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Dinajpur as a major export hub for mangoes with locally grown varieties of the fruit now making their way abroad after satisfying domestic demand.

As such, mango growers and exporters in the district are eyeing bigger shipments this year despite registering lower yields compared that of 2021 due to unfavourable weather conditions alongside spiralling global inflation amid the Russia-Ukraine war.

Naogaon is now the top mango producing district in the country followed by Chapainawabganj and

The average quality of mangoes grown through traditional methods in the region are selling for Tk 2,000 to Tk 3,000 per maund (roughly 37 kilogrammes) while the best quality mangoes are selling for Tk 3,000 to Tk 4,500 per maund, according to local farmers.

They also informed that it costs between Tk 30,000 and Tk 40,000 to produce the fruit on each bigha of land.

Md Sohel Rana, owner of the Rupgram Agro Farm in the district's Sapahar upazila, cultivated mangoes on around 150 bighas of land, including the Amrupali and Langra varieties.

Rana, who also provides agro-tourism services at his farm, said he used fruit bags on the mangoes grown on about 50 bighas of land in order to ensure higher quality for export.

The special method of growing mangoes inside multi-layered bags with wax on the outer surface protects the fruit from pests, rain and even hailstorms with their ability to withstand wind speeds of up to 65 kilometres per hour before being blown away.

"I have already shipped five tonnes of mangoes this year through various exporters, including North Bengal Agro," he said.

Rana had exported a total of eight tonnes of mangoes to England, the Netherlands and Sweden in 2021.

"We need to use the bagging method to grow export quality mangoes but the process is expensive as it costs Tk 30,000 per bigha, which is almost double the normal production cost," he added.

Rana went on to say the import duty on fruit bags is more than 50 per cent.

"But farmers would be more interested in using the method to produce quality fruits without using pesticides if the government reduced this charge," he said.

Farmers in Naogaon typically export mangoes through exporters as they lack the financial capacity, expertise and facilities to make direct shipments.

However, this means that exporters enjoy the 25 per cent government incentive on outgoing shipments rather than the farmers.

"If the government can distribute the 25 per cent export incentives among exporters and farmers, then we would be more interested to grow safe fruits for earning foreign currency," Rana added.

Hafizur Rahman, another farmer of Sapahar upazila who cultivated mangoes on 70 bighas of land, said he has sent three tonnes of the fruit to the UK so far this year.

"I contacted the Fresh Food Trading Corporation to export more of mangoes but they are yet to ask for a good amount," he added.

Md Moniruzzaman, agriculture officer of Sapahar upazila, said there are currently around 20,000 farmers growing mangoes on 9,250 hectares of land collectively.

Many of them are producing export quality mangoes but some have lost hope in this regard as the related expenditure of growing high-quality varieties is too high to turn a profit.

Rajib Bose, additional deputy director of the district's Central Pack House under the Plant Quarantine Wing of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), said nearly 14 varieties of mangoes, including Gopalbhog, Langra, Himsagar and Fazli, are being cultivated in the region.

"Around 800 tonnes of mangoes were exported to the UK and European Union last year while about 435 tonnes have been exported to the same destinations so far this year," he told The Daily Star.

There are around 20-25 seasonal exporters who previously collected mangoes from the Chapaina-wabganj, Rajshahi, Naogaon, Jhenaidah, Jessore, Satkhira and Mujibnagar districts.

Now though, most export quality mangoes are coming from Naogaon's
Porsha and Sapahar upazilas.

Exports of unripe mangoes normally take place in the March-May period while ripe varieties are sent abroad between June and August.

"Exports seem slower this year as prices are high in local markets due to low yields for bad weather while the increased carrying costs resulting from global inflation generated by the Russia-Ukraine war are also to blame," Bose said.

The Covid-19 situation was so bad in India last year that they could not export mangoes amid a nationwide economic shutdown.

However, the case is different this year and so, Bangladesh's export progress is lower now compared to recent years, he added.

Farmers in Naogaon cultivated mangos on 29,475 hectares of land and expect yields of more than 3.68 lakh tonnes this season, as per DAE data.

Regarding export potential, AKM Monjure Maula, deputy director of the Naogaon DAE, said exporting mangos is a bit difficult for various reasons.

"We have to start good agriculture practice first with record keeping and maintain personal hygiene," he added.

"We need to establish a quarantine lab nearby but despite the many difficulties, including transportation issues, we are hopeful to export more mangoes from the district."

In Jhenaidah, mangos were cultivated on some 2,211 hectares of land across six upazilas in the 2020-21 season while it was 2,882 hectares in 2019-20, DAE data shows.

Of the total land cultivated, Jhenaidah sadar upazila contributed 580 hectares while Shailakupa upazila accounted for 25 hectares, Harinakundo upazila 26 hectares, Moheshpur upazila 500 hectares, Kotchandpur upazila 710 hectares and Kaliganj upazila 370 hectares.

The mangos grown in the district travel to Singapore, Malaysia and some European countries.

There are 200 local mango traders in Kotchandpur upazila, where there are go-downs for the fruit.

DAE sources said about 60 college and university students and 800 other people work on local farms every day. Students can earn Tk 1,000 per day while the other workers earn Tk 1,400 per day.