Photo : BSS

RANGPUR, June 15, 2026 (BSS) - Despite the low production due to natural disasters this season, the formal collection and marketing of Rangpur's Geographical Indication (GI) product 'Haribhanga' mango has begun with hopes of good business and profits.
 
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ruhul Amin inaugurated the 'Haribhanga' mango picking as the chief guest on Monday afternoon at a function organized in the garden of Podaganj village, known as the home of ‘Haribhanga’ mango in Mithapukur upazila.
 
The Mithapukur upazila administration and upazila agriculture office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) jointly organised the event.
 
With Mithapukur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Parvez in the chair, the function was attended by Additional Director of the DAE at its Rangpur Regional Office Agriculturist Md Shirajul Islam   as special guest.
 
Mithapukur Upazila Agriculture Officer Agriculturist Md Lokman Hekim, Upazila BNP President Professor Golam Rabbani and District Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary Moulana Enamul Haque were present.
 
Later, the chief guest addressed a views-exchange meeting with 'Haribhanga' mango farmers and traders at the nearby Podaganj School and College ground.
 
He talked to farmers and traders when they raised various problems in marketing of the delicious local variety 'Haribhanga' mango. 
 
They demanded development of local roads, banking facilities, permanent sheds, washing facilities at the market, construction of cold storage and creation of opportunities to export ‘Haribhanga’ mangoes abroad as a GI product. 
 
At this time, the Deputy Commissioner said that ‘Haribhanga’ mango is being considered as a priority project of the district administration. 
 
“Necessary initiatives will be taken to solve various problems including increasing mango exports, infrastructural development and road renovation, construction of wash blocks and establishment of bank branches and launching of mango trains,” he said. 
 
On the first day, a large amount of ‘Haribhanga’ mangoes were imported at the nearby Podaganj Hat. 
 
Vendors said that on the first day, 'Haribhanga' mango was  being sold at TK  1,200 to TK  1,800 per mound (40 kg).
 
Talking to BSS, Agriculturist Md Shirajul Islam said that the ‘Haribhanga’ mango yield has been a little less this time. 
 
“However, the size has grown. That is why farmers will get a fair price this time,” he said, hoping that the price of mango will increase every day, even though the price is slightly lower in the beginning. 
 
The agriculture-based rural economy of Rangpur and the entire region is thriving with the increased cultivation of 'Haribhanga' mango, which has made hundreds of farmers self-reliant in recent years.
 
According to the DAE sources, farmers generally produce ‘Haribhanga’ mango in the tune of around 38,000 tonnes to 40,000 tonnes from their orchards in over 2,556 hectares of land every year in five districts of Rangpur agricultural region.
 
Of them, they produce about 30,000 tonnes of ‘Haribhanga’ mango from orchards in around 2,000 hectares of land in Rangpur district alone annually.
  
In addition to Mithapukur upazila, the highly tasty indigenous variety mango is also being cultivated in dozens of villages under Badarganj, Sadar, Pirganj, Gangachara, Taraganj, Pirgachha, Kawnia upazilas of Rangpur district. 
 
The mango is also cultivated in dozens of villages of Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts under Rangpur agricultural region. 
 
Officials, farmers and traders are expecting to make an excellent trade of 'Haribhanga' mango worth TK  250 to TK 300 crore in Rangpur district alone this season.