Dumuria (Khulna) Correspondent:

Bundles of raw green mangoes are hanging from the branches of mango trees. From small saplings to huge old trees, none seem to be left out. The Dumuria upazila of Khulna is now a beautiful sight. Bunches of raw green mangoes are hanging from the branches of every mango tree, big or small.

This mango festival, swaying in the Baisakhi breeze, is not only enhancing the beauty of nature, but is also instilling new hope for bumper harvest in the minds of local farmers. This season, mangoes are abundantly harvested everywhere in the upazila. Garden owners and agriculture-related people say that since the weather has been favorable so far, there is a strong possibility of producing a record amount of mangoes this time.

A visit to various unions in the upazila has shown that mangoes reign everywhere, from home courtyards to commercial gardens. This year, especially small and medium-sized trees have also borne a lot of mangoes. In many cases, tree branches have been seen bending to the ground under the weight of mangoes. Local farmers said that since the buds have not been affected by any major natural disasters or storms, the mango orchards are quite healthy and safe. Currently, intensive care is being carried out in the orchards.

According to the Dumuria Upazila Agriculture Office, there are 380 mango orchards in a total of 327 hectares of land in the upazila. Along with indigenous varieties, the cultivation of improved and new varieties of mango has also increased this time. Upazila Agriculture Officer, Agronomist Md. Nazmul Huda said that the cultivation of new varieties of mango including Katimon, Banana Mango, Bari-1, 2, 3 and 4 has expanded. In addition, there has been a large yield of traditional Fazli, Langra, Gopalbhog, Mishribhog and Haribhanga mangoes.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, due to timely irrigation and application of pesticides, mango orchard shedding has decreased significantly this time. Last year, Dumuria produced about 5,500 metric tons of mangoes, which were exported to different districts of the country and even abroad to meet local demand. Officials hope that this year's harvest will be even better, which will strengthen the export trend.