Mangoes will probably be more costly this summer as drought is going to take its toll on the yield in Chapainawabganj, in northwest Bangladesh. Immature mangoes are falling off the trees across the district due to prolonged drought, even though growers have been trying to control the damage by irrigating the trees.
Some growers said severe moisture stress has affected most orchards in the district, also affecting the quality and yield of the juicy fruit this season. The March-April period is the peak time when the fruit grows out from buds to a sizable shape before ripening, but this year the country is witnessing lower rainfall everywhere, they said.
A local mango farmer told dhakatribune.com: "Despite massive sprouting in the very beginning of the season, mangoes are dropping from trees almost every day. We’ll suffer huge losses this year if the weather remains unchanged. I’m upset. Even last year we didn't get a fair price for our mangoes due to the pandemic.”
The mango growers fear that they will not be able to meet the production target of 150,000 tons from around 33,035 hectares of land this time for lack of rainfall.
Photo source: Dreamstime.com