Khulna: In the first week of the Bangla month of Jyestha, popularly known as 'Modhumash', the juicy fruits mango and litchi have flooded the local markets. The fruit shops of Khulna are now brimming with summer fruits, especially the Satkhira variety of mango and Jashore, Kustia, and Meherpur varieties of litchi.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the price of litchis and mangoes is within the grasp of customers amid bumper production with high demand in the Khulna city markets. During a visit to several fruit retailers in the city, it was observed that different varieties of mangoes like Gopalvog are being sold at Taka 80 to Taka 100, Gobindavog at Taka 90 to Taka 120, whereas the 'Himsagar' variety of Satkhira is selling at Taka 100 to Taka 130 per kg.
People are seen purchasing mangoes and litchis from fruit shops and various makeshift markets in the city. Fruit sellers from Helatala and K D Ghosh Road mentioned that the prices of these mango varieties have remained consistent compared to last year.
Meanwhile, different varieties of litchi, including 'Bombai', 'Bedana', and 'China-3', are being sold at reasonable prices. Seasonal traders have set up makeshift shops at various points in the city, including Boro Bazar, Clay Road, KCC's Sandha Bazar, Dakbangla, and several other locations to sell mangoes and other seasonal fruits.
Fruits seller Mamun Mia at KCC's kitchen market (Sandha Bazar) stated that Satkhira's mangoes, especially Gopalvog, Gobindavog, and Himsagar, are being sold at Taka 80-110, Taka 100-120, and Taka 110-120 per kg, respectively. He also noted that litchi from Meherpur, Kustia, and Jashore is appearing daily at the markets.
Every bunch of 100 Bombai Litchis is being sold from Taka 350 to Taka 400, Bedana variety at Taka 400 to Taka 500, and China-3 at Taka 350 to Taka 420 based on quality and size. The sellers mentioned that the price is reasonable although the supply is stable and is expected to reduce when the supply increases in the coming days.
Rashedul Islam, a trader in Clay Road, noted that many farmers are harvesting immature litchi to fetch higher prices. Customers like Mahfuz Ahmed, an officer of Sonali Bank Corporate Branch, expressed satisfaction with the mango and litchi prices and demanded monitoring to prevent the use of harmful chemicals like formalin.
As Khulna emerges as a significant mango-producing region in Bangladesh, it is on track for a record-breaking season with an expected harvest worth Taka 1500 crore. Officials from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Khulna mentioned that around 1,17,530 tonnes of mangoes are expected to be produced in 8,190 hectares of land during the season, with an average yield of 14.17 tonnes per hectare in Satkhira, Narail, Bagerhat, and Khulna districts.