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Meherpur Correspondent
Himsagar mango of the district has gained fame in the country and abroad. Different varieties of mangoes including Himsagar, Langra, Gopalbhog and Amrapali are produced in this district.
But this time year-long Thai variety Katimon high breed mango has been added. Moin-ul-Alam Bulbul, a mango grower of Amjhupi Village in Meherpur Sadar Upazila, has achieved great success in cultivating this Katimon variety of mango on one acre of land experimentally inspired by YouTube.
Bulbul’s mango orchard is next to the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation seed production farm in Amjhupi, where 240 Katimon mango trees were planted. The use of modern technology has increased the yield of mangoes. As a result, mango orchards are increasing every year.
Locals believe that it will be possible to send Thai Katimon variety mangoes to different districts of the country in the coming year after meeting the demand of the district.
After visiting Bulbul’s garden, mangoes of different stages towards maturity were found. Recently, he marketed mangoes of about Tk 50,000. He sold per kg mango at Tk 250. He is waiting to sell more 70 maunds of mangoes next week.
Bulbul said, “At the beginning of 2021, I experimentally planted 240 Thai Katimon mango seedlings on one acre of land. The current age of the trees is only one and a half years. When there are no mangoes in the area, I produce mangoes and sell those at a higher price. Mangoes can be sold three times a year from Thai Katimon trees.”
He also said, “I had to spend Tk one lakh to make this garden. First, I bought per seedling at Tk 250 from Darshana of Chuadanga. Currently, I am producing and selling Thai Katimon seedlings from this garden. As the mango yield is good, I will expand the garden in the future.”
Bulbul also said, “If there is no natural disaster, it is possible to earn at least Tk two and a half lakh from this garden excluding all costs. Besides, Meherpur is a drought-prone area, so there is no alternative to trees. Because trees meet oxygen demand and keep the economic wheel moving. I urge the unemployed youth to grow mangoes.”
“However, due to the increase in the price of fuel oil, the price of agricultural materials including pesticides has increased in the last few days. This year, due to the lack of rain, I have tended mangoes in the land. Due to the drought, I had to speed up the nurturing of mangoes. I had to irrigate the land after every 20 days. If I can’t market at the right time, I will face a big loss,” he further said.
Shamsul Alam, acting deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Meherpur, said, “Moin Ul-Alam Bulbul has succeeded in growing high breed year-long mangoes of Thai Katimon variety on one acre of land inspired by YouTube. Seeing his success, three more farmers have started cultivating Thai Katimon mangoes in the district this year. The agriculture office is giving various suggestions to the farmers for tree maintenance. Last season, mangoes were cultivated on 2,345 hectares of land in Meherpur and the production target was 26,695 metric tons of mango.”