Shawdesh Desk:

Despite its bumper production, the mango growers in Thakurgaon are deeply worried as several hundred hectares of mango orchards got submerged due to heavy rains for the last several days.

According to farmers, some 500 hectare of mango orchards in the district went under rainwaters due to torrential rain, making it difficult for them to harvest mangoes.

Besides, the natural colour of mangoes have turned fade with black spots being visible on them, forcing the farmers to sell their produce at lower prices.

In the last few years, many farmers have turned their crop lands into mango orchards as it looks to be a more profitable crop than others.

Many farmers said they could not nurture their orchards properly due to the incessant rains.

Besides, they have to spend more on transportation of mangoes to Dhaka as truck owners charge excessive fare taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic.

Taiabur Rahman, a mango grower of Bhelatoir in Pirganj upazila, said, “I’ve to count huge losses due to fall in mango prices.”

Another mango grower, Imam Hossain, of Banbari village said, “Mango trees on my 50 bighas of land went under rainwater, and I had to collect mangoes making a raft with banana trees.”

SM Golam Sarwar, Pirganj upazila agriculture officer said, “This time mangoes have partially been damaged due to huge rains.”

Aftab Hossain, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), said, “This year, a total of 2840 hectares of land were brought under mango cultivation and some 44,000 mts of mangoes could be harvested as there have been good yield.”

Talking about the water logging, the DAE official said the rainwater may recede if there is no rain in the next few days.