News Flash
By Md Aynal Haque
RAJSHAHI, March 11, 2026 (BSS) - In the first week of March, mango fruit, locally known as guti, have started appearing on some trees in the Rajshahi region.
Almost all trees have produced blossoms this year in the region, and farmers are expecting a good harvest. However, they remain concerned about the impact of fog, which is still visible in many places during the early morning.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set a target to cultivate mangoes on 92,552 hectares of land this year across four districts-Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, and Natore.
The production target has been set at around 12.5 lakh tonnes, from 34,960,554 mango trees in the region.
Weather conditions have been favourable so far, and the Department of Agricultural Extension expects a bumper yield as there have been no major natural disasters.
Compared to last year, almost all trees have borne many blossoms this time. With favourable weather conditions, prospects for a bumper yield are strong.
Although production was good last year, excessive rainfall damaged a large quantity of mangoes, causing prices to drop and leaving farmers at a loss.
A visit to several orchards in Godagari and Paba upazilas of Rajshahi shows that mango trees have already started bearing fruit.
However, many trees are still in the flowering stage. In some orchards, infestations of hopper insects have also been observed. Orchard owners are trying to control the insects.
Shamim Akhtar, a mango farmer from Balanagar village in Paba, said, "All of our trees have blossomed. Many trees still have flowers. We are hoping for a good yield this year. Last year, mango prices were not good. It is still uncertain what the market situation will be this year."
"If there are no major storms, we expect a plentiful harvest. With good weather, yields will be excellent. But we cannot be complacent yet. We are regularly maintaining the orchards," he said.
Shafiqul Islam, a mango producer from Bagha upazila, supplies mangoes to exporters. He said that almost all trees have produced blossoms this season, and fruitlets have already appeared on many trees. "However, fog is still seen in the early morning, which is harmful to the blossoms," he added.
Another grower, Sohel Rana, said that all the trees in his 200-bigha orchard have produced blossoms this year. He also supplies mangoes to exporters. "I take care of the trees throughout the year. This season, every tree has produced blossoms at the same time, and some have already started producing fruitlets."
Dr. Azizur Rahman, Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension for the Rajshahi region, said that this year is an "on year" for mango production.
Typically, about 20 percent of mango trees bear fruit in alternate years, though this usually does not significantly affect overall production.
"However, this year is somewhat exceptional, as blossoms have appeared on almost all trees. Farmers are being advised regularly on how to prevent the blossoms from dropping," he said.
He also noted that trees that produced a heavy yield last year may bear fewer fruits this year.
"This situation depends on factors such as weather conditions, pollination issues, and various diseases," he explained.
"We are also working to ensure farmers can export mangoes. Agricultural officers in every upazila are engaged in this effort. We hope for huge mango exports this season," he said.
Dr. Shafiqul Islam, Chief Scientific Officer at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), said mango is a summer fruit that prefers warm temperatures.
"However, excessively high temperatures during cultivation are not ideal. It is reported that temperatures may rise this year; last year they were comparatively lower. The ideal temperature during the flowering and fruitlet stages is 15-20oC. Currently, here day temperatures are around 30oC, while night temperatures are dropping to 13oC," he said.
