How the price of mangoes increases at the retail level

 

Why is the price of mangoes so high in Bangladesh this year?

In Bangladesh, since the second week of May this year, many varieties of mangoes have appeared in the markets of the country including Dhaka, but there is a lot of dissatisfaction with the price of mangoes among the buyers.

Many say that the price of mangoes is so high this year that they are struggling to buy mangoes.

From various supershops in Dhaka to Banshri, Iskaton, Aftabnagar and many other retail shops, it has been seen that a customer has to pay at least Tk 100 to Tk 120 to buy one kg of mangoes. Depending on the variety and size of mango, this price is sometimes more.

Over the past few years, it has been seen that many are selling mangoes online during the mango season by exploiting the popularity of social media. One such person is Nuruzzaman Rico of Satkhira, who has been selling mangoes online for the past seven-eight years.

Mr. Talking to Rico, he said that this year he is selling Himsagar mangoes at a price of at least 50 rupees higher than last year.

"Last year that mango was 85 taka per kg, this year it is 135 taka", he said.

But why is the price so high compared to last year? Mango traders at all levels of Bangladesh and officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension have identified a few reasons as an explanation for this.

They say the main reason for the high price of mangoes this year is the 'bad yield' of mangoes. But there are some specific reasons behind the low or bad yield of mangoes.

In Bangladesh, ripe mangoes come in the market from the second week of May.

Why is the mango yield less this year?

According to data from the Department of Agricultural Extension, a total of 2.75 lakh metric tonnes of mangoes were produced commercially on a little over two lakh hectares of land last year alone.

But “this time the mango yield will be less. But how much will be less, that will be understood later," Director General of Agriculture Extension Directorate Badal Chandra Biswas told BBC.

He said that 25 to 27 lakh metric tons of mangoes can be produced in the whole country this year.

“Last year only commercial orchards had those mangoes. Many mangoes were also grown in social and family gardens. Now commercial, social, family, all together this amount of mangoes can be."

From the farmers to the agriculture department, according to everyone, the main reason behind the low yield of mangoes this year is 'off year'.

Basically, the year of good mango production is followed by poor mango production. If good it is called 'on ear'.

Mr. Biswas said about this, “This year is off year. Earlier we have seen that one year the yield is high, the next year is low. That's why management is reduced in social and family gardens."

Anisur Rahman, a mango farmer of Satkhira, also said, "One tree does not produce good crops twice in a row. Last year the yield was good, this year it is bad. Next year will be better.”

Mr. Rahman has a total of seven orchards. Two and a half to three thousand carats of Himsagar, Langra, Govindbhog and Amrapali mangoes have been produced in all those gardens this year.

But last year the total production from his garden was four thousand carats.

Besides, high temperature and low rainfall are two other reasons for low production of mangoes.

“In extreme temperatures, although commercial orchards are irrigated, orchards are watered. But still the natural weather cannot be filled with artificial things", said Mr. faith

Those related to this sector say that because of excess sun, mango buds have fallen, mangoes have burst.

However, due to Cyclone Rimale, which hit Bangladesh in the last week of May, the mango crop has suffered a lot. The recent prolonged storm Rimal stayed in Bangladesh for about 50 hours after hitting the coast.

Farmers and traders said many mangoes fell before they were ripe during the cyclone.

Not only that, due to the attack of the 'hopper insect', the yield of most of the companies has deteriorated, said Md. Artatdar of Baneshwar in Rajshahi. Saiful Islam

Mangoes contain 75 to 85 percent water.

All these factors are responsible for the high price of mangoes

As the yield of mangoes has decreased, the price of mangoes will continue to rise.

Because when the demand of a product in the market is more than the production, then the price of that product naturally increases.

"Due to low production, this time farmers have to buy mangoes at a higher price. The price of Himsagar has fallen by Tk 80 to Tk 90 per kg,” said Nuruzzaman Rico of Satkhira.

Those who are demanding, also say that they have bought mangoes from the farmers at a higher price.

It is known that talking to several Artatdars of Rajshahi, famous for mangoes, this year they spent from 3200 to 5000 rupees per man to buy gopalbhog. Although Gopalbhog is not in the market now. Because the early season mango is this Gopalbhoga.

At present Himsagar is being sold at the rate of four to five thousand taka per head. In case of Langra, the price is 4500 to 5000 taka.

The price of Amrapali is around 3500 per maund. Among the two thousand mangoes available are Fazli, Lucknow or Guti mangoes.

Now, to reach the consumer level, the mangoes have to go through a series of handovers and the price of mangoes has been increasing steadily.

In that case, the final selling price of the mangoes is determined only when the mangoes reach the wholesalers.

Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj area of ​​Bangladesh is a well-known place for mangoes.

How the price of mangoes increases at the retail level

Artdar of Bangram of Rajshahi. Ayes Uddin Akash claims that the hawkers sell mangoes to the wholesalers at the same price they bought them, only getting a small 'commission'.

“Our role here is to buy the mangoes from the farmers and sell them to the party. I sell it at the price I buy it at.

"We get a commission of Tk 25 per carat. This is our profit", he said.

There is a kind of communication between wholesalers and retailers.

“Usually the party calls us, orders. Then we deliver the mangoes by truck", said Mr. Akash.

The price of mangoes mainly increases during this period. Because the transportation cost has to be borne by the wholesalers.

Mr. Akash said, one of their big trucks can carry 530 carats of mangoes. In that case, last year the rent of that truck was 32 thousand taka. But this year they have to pay 36 thousand rupees as rent.

Talked about this with Alamgir Hossain, a wholesale mango trader of Bikrampur, Dhaka.

He said, "This year I am buying amrapali for four thousand taka (manas). 100 rupees per kg. The rent is Rs 10 per kg including weavers' commission, cost of yarn, car hire, labour.

He said that last year the price of amrapali was 2500 taka and one kg of amrapali was 8 taka. "Everything from oil is more expensive now!"

In the next step, retailers buy mangoes from wholesalers.

In that case, apart from the cost, "If retailers buy mangoes from me at Tk 95 per kg, then they go and sell those mangoes at the retail market at Tk 100 to Tk 150 depending on the quality and size," said Alamgir Hossain.

However, Director General of Agriculture Extension Department Badal Chandra Biswas said about these prices at the retail level, "Now these things are not available at low prices. Because people's purchasing power (increased), from the working class to the producers. People have an abundance of money.”

"Vegetables are available in the village. But people in the village also buy vegetables from the market. Due to this situation, not only mangoes, but all crops will have an impact," he said.