Rajshahi: An increasing number of grassroots farmers in the Barind region are making a significant shift from paddy cultivation to mango farming, driven by an acute irrigation water crisis and the promise of higher profits.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, this change involves either leasing land to commercial mango growers or farmers themselves transitioning to mango cultivation, leaving behind the uncertainties associated with rice farming.
Saday Chandra Debnath, a farmer from Sapahar upazila in Naogaon, shared his experience of being burdened with debt due to recurring losses from paddy farming. “We can’t get profit from paddy. The price remains low in most seasons. Irrigation water is scarce in our area, so we have to depend on rainfall. This is a permanent concern,” he told Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS). Five years ago, Debnath leased his 10 bighas of land to a mango grower, transforming the fields into a commercial orchard. Now, he earns Tk 15,000 annually per bigha as lease money, double the return from paddy, and works as an orchard supervisor with a monthly salary of Tk 10,000.
The rapid expansion of mango cultivation is particularly notable in Sapahar and Porsha upazilas of Naogaon, which together account for 72 percent of the district’s orchards, according to the DAE. Md Nuruzzaman, a mango grower in Porsha, highlighted the use of new methods that allow farmers to plant up to 200 mango trees per bigha, compared to just 10 traditionally. Nuruzzaman cultivates eight bighas of land, making a profit of Tk 20,000 per season from each bigha, and also provides employment to local villagers.
Other farmers, like Saifuddin Mondol of Sapahar, have also reduced paddy cultivation in favor of mango farming. Mondol transformed 13 bighas of his land into mango orchards and leased an additional 50 bighas from other farmers. “In mango farming, the possibility of loss is low,” he stated.
Dr Azizur Rahman, Additional Director of DAE, explained that many areas in the Barind region are on high land, making deep tube-well installation difficult. “So, rainwater becomes their only source of irrigation water,” he said. Shapla Khatun, Agriculture Officer of Sapahar upazila, added that whenever paddy prices fall consistently, the number of mango orchards increases the following year.
Over the past 15 years, the region comprising Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, and Natore has seen a significant reduction in paddy cultivation area by 2 lakh hectares, while land under mango orchards has doubled to 87,307 hectares. Agriculturists attribute this growth to newer mango varieties like Amrapali, BARI Mango-3, and 4.
Naogaon, once renowned for its paddy fields, has now emerged as the country’s top mango-producing district, surpassing Chapainawabganj, traditionally considered the mango capital. DAE data indicates that Naogaon increased its mango orchard area by 17,500 hectares over the last 15 years, while Chapainawabganj’s increased by 12,520 hectares during the same period.
Umme Salma, Deputy Director of DAE, Rajshahi, reported that this year, 2.60 lakh metric tonnes of mangoes are expected to be harvested from 19,603 hectares of land in the Rajshahi district. Naogaon aims for mango cultivation on 30,300 hectares of land with a production target of 3.87 lakh metric tonnes this year, according to Abul Kalam Azad, Deputy Director of DAE, Naogaon. “There are prospects of mango trading worth around Taka 4,000 crore in the district this year,” he added.
Dr Yeasin Ali, Deputy Director of DAE, Chapainawabganj, said their production target is 3.86 lakh metric tonnes of mangoes from 37,504 hectares of land this season, with an estimated market value of around Tk 4,000 crore. Chapainawabganj remains a top mango-producing district in the country, often referred to as the “mango capital” due to its high-quality produce and vast orchard coverage.