Rajshahi's mango scarcity processing plants for value-added 

For long, Rajshahi is nationwide famous, especially for its tasty and delicious fruit mango that attracts people from all over the country every summer.

Every year, acreage, number of trees and mango production is mounting. However, unfortunately, not a single mango-processing plant has been established here since 44 years of country's independence, which is hindering expansion of mango market volume.

Officials of Department of Agriculture Extension said around 1,132 hectares of mango acreage, 3,27,197 trees and 7,538 metric tons yield were enhanced in the last five years in the district.

Quoting the office records they said there were 6,79,684 trees that yielded 1,02,950 metric tons of mango in 2007-08 harvesting season. Per hectare yield was 13.1 tonnes.

Whereas, in the previous 2014-15 season, the growers harvested around 1,10,488 tonnes from 10,06,881 trees in 8,986 hectares of land and per hectare yield was 12.29 tonnes.

Some varieties like Gopalbhog, Langra, Himsagar, Ranipasand, Fazli and Aswina are very much tasty and mouthwatering among around 100 others.

Mango grows almost everywhere in the district but Paba, Charghat and Bagha have long-lasting tradition of quality mango production.

Regarding the ongoing mango production Dr Alim Uddin, Principal Scientific Officer of Regional Fruit Research Centre, said the current year is on-year for mango production meaning more yield has come compared to the previous season.

As the growers are reaping bulks of money from the mango farming, it is encouraging many others towards farming mango resulting in escalation of acreage.

He said target has been set to produce around 1.10 lakh tons this year. "Although, we are yielding huge mango every year no significant mango processing plants has been set up here as yet," he said.

Various processed food-items particularly juice, soft drink, pickles, jam and jelly can be manufactured through processing of mango. If it's possible, this sector can contribute a lot to the region's economy as the processed foods have enormous demands besides high market values.

Mango is a perishable item. So, it needs immediate consumption or processing for its value addition. Besides, various natural calamities like storm, hailstorm, gusty wind, tornado and drought caused dropping out significant portion of produced mango.

But, the modern processing plant can make the dropped out green mango valued foods besides protecting those from getting damaged.

Meanwhile, construction work of two modern fruit- processing factories are progressing fast in the region with an ultimate goal of adding value to the agricultural products especially mango, tomato and potato.

A plant named Hashem Agro-processing Industry is being built on 40 bighas of land at Rishikul under Godagari upazila of the district with the initiative of Sazib Corporation setting target to manufacture mango pulp in the coming mango season. Another factory has been built by Vegan Group on 50 bighas of land at Rohanpur under Chapainawabgonj district, where a pulping plant was also established.

With this venture, cold storage for both mango and tomato was built for the first time in the two districts.

In addition to pulp preservation, the factories will preserve mango, tomato and potato in small-scale.

Sohel Rana, Plant Manager of Hashem Agro-processing Industry, told BSS that the plant is processing 30,000 tons of mango and 20,000 tons of tomato every year for producing pulp with an ultimate goal of manufacturing mango-juice and tomato- sauce.

"We will establish cold storage assembling modern machineries for the pulp preservation," Sohel Rana said.

He added that the plant has provision for preservation of adequate mango, tomato and potato after segregating the quality ones with modern automatic machine.

He said around 500 people got job in the factory directly, which will benefit another around one lakh people indirectly.