The Sweetest Season: Abundant Supplies Drive Chattogram Mango Prices Down
Abundant supplies of mangoes in Chattogram have made the seasonal fruits affordable for all. Agamir Somoy.
At 'Phalmandi', the largest seasonal fruit wholesale market in Chattogram, the supply of mangoes exceeds demand. Currently, mangoes of varieties such as Rupali, Himsagar, Langra, Banana, Double B, Lakshanbhog, and Bari-4 are available from various parts of the country, including Rangamati, Bandarban, Khagrachhari, Satkhira, Chuadanga, Meherpur, Rajshahi, and Dinajpur.
Sellers say, "There is plenty of mangoes in the market. The mangoes have also developed their ripe color. But the full flavor hasn't arrived yet. The complete taste of the mangoes will be found after about a week."
According to wholesalers, mangoes from all regions have started arriving in the market simultaneously. Due to adequate supply, prices are lower than yesterday.
Nasir Uddin Mahmud, a wholesaler at Phalmandi, said, "Currently, 25–30 trucks of mangoes arrive every day. Most trucks come from the hilly areas and Satkhira. Mangoes from Rajshahi will arrive in full swing next week. Then the number of trucks will double. One truck contains more than about 10 tons of mangoes. There has been a bountiful harvest this year."
This peak mango season will last another two months. Although there is an abundant supply of mangoes in the market currently, worries are visible on the faces of everyone from orchard owners to wholesalers. Wholesalers expressed frustration that due to low prices, it will be quite difficult to recover costs even during this mango season.
Nayan, owner of Fatema Enterprise, said that currently, Banana Mango is selling at 80 taka, Himsagar at 45–50 taka, Rupali at 45–50 taka, Langra at 40–45 taka, Double B at 40 taka, and Bari-4 at 45–50 taka per kilogram.
Retailer Rakib said they buy mangoes from the wholesale market. Mangoes are sold here by the carat. One carat typically contains 22 to 25 kilograms of mangoes. After buying from here, they sell to consumers in retail markets at a price 15–20 taka higher.
Orchard owners are the most troubled due to the low prices in the market. Oli Bapari, an orchard owner who came from Khagrachhari, said, "I have 1,700 trees across four orchards. I brought 5 trucks of mangoes 4 days ago. The yield has been very good, but recovering costs is becoming difficult. Previously, Rupali mangoes sold for 60–70 taka, but now the price has dropped to 35–40 taka."
