Rajshahi district administration has set 15 May as the official start date for mango harvesting this season.
Deputy Commissioner Kazi Shahidul Islam unveiled the Mango Calendar during a meeting on Sunday. Mango growers, traders and officials from the Department of Agricultural Extension attended the meeting.
According to the calendar, harvesting of Guti mangoes will begin on May 15, followed by Gopalbhog on 22 May.
Other varieties will be harvested according to the following schedule: Ranipachanda or Laxmanbhog from 25 May, Himsagar or Khirsapat from 30 May, Langra or Banana Mango from 10 June, Amrapali and Fazli from 15 June, BARI Mango-4 from 5 July, Ashwina from 10 July and Gourmoti from 15 July.
Katimon and BARI Mango-11 varieties, however, can be harvested throughout the year depending on ripeness.
The meeting warned that strict action would be taken against farmers or traders found harvesting unripe mangoes before the scheduled dates. However, if mangoes ripen earlier due to weather conditions, growers may market them after obtaining certification from the local upazila agriculture officer.
Deputy Commissioner Shahidul said the calendar was prepared based on consultations with farmers, traders and agricultural officials to ensure consumers receive ripe and safe mangoes.
Deputy Director of the Rajshahi Agricultural Extension Department Md Mozdar Hossain said mango orchards currently cover around 18,000 hectares of land in Rajshahi.
He said average production stands at about 12 metric tonnes per hectare, with last season’s total output reaching around 2,16,000 metric tonnes. This year, the production target has been set at around 2,30,000 metric tonnes.
