Foreign mangoes a boon for farmers

Successful cultivation of foreign mango varieties in the hilly terrain of Khagrachari is gaining momentum. The favorable climate and high-quality soil in the hills have enabled farmers to thrive in cultivating foreign mangoes, which fetch prices that are 5 to 6 times higher than domestic mangoes.

One prominent farmer, Mangshitu Chowdhury, has cultivated an impressive range of 42 mango varieties on the low hilly land in Bhayachari area of Sadar Upazila, Khagrachari. His garden boasts a vibrant display of exotic mangoes, including American Pamlar, Red Ivory, Red Emperor, Banana Mango, Cardemon, Kyuzai, Red Lady, Apple Mango, Miyazaki or Sun Egg, Kessington Pride, and Artitutu. These foreign mangoes command significantly higher prices compared to traditional native mangoes.

Mangshitu Chowdhury, who previously worked in government service, dedicated his time and efforts to expanding his garden. With remarkable success, he decided to resign from his job in October of the previous year to focus on his garden. He shared, foreign red mangoes fetch prices several times higher, which motivated me to venture into cultivating foreign mango plantations.

This skilled farmer anticipates earning at least Tk 15 lakh from the sale of foreign mangoes this season. Mangshitu Chowdhury procured foreign mango seedlings through a relative living in Italy. Fortunately, cultivating these exotic varieties does not require any additional effort compared to native mangoes.

Altaf Hossain, the Chief Scientific Officer (Acting) of the Khagrachari Hill Agriculture Research Center, aims to promote suitable foreign mango varieties for the hills among local farmers. In the current season, over 3,700 hectares of land in Khagrachari have been dedicated to mango cultivation. However, foreign mango cultivation only covers 5 hectares of this total.

Kishore Kumar Majumdar, Deputy Director of the Khagrachari Agricultural Extension Department, explains that while farmers focus on high-yielding varieties like Arapali, Ranguai, and Bari four due to market demand, conscious farmers are now venturing into producing exotic mangoes.”