For the last five to six years, mango growers in Rajshahi have been failing to get fair prices for their produce. As production costs have continued to rise each year, farmers get disappointed with market prices.
As a result, many growers are abandoning mango cultivation and cutting down both small and large mango trees. Over the last two years alone, more than 1,000 hectares of trees have been felled in Rajshahi. This trend may reduce mango production in the coming season and negatively impact the local economy.
Farmers say they suffered heavy losses during the Covid-19 period due to poor sales and low prices. Even five years after the pandemic, the mango market has not become vibrant yet. To recoup losses, farmers are cutting mango trees and shifting to crops such as rice, wheat, vegetables, ginger, turmeric, guava, jujube, and dragon fruit.
According to official figures, 714 hectares of trees have been cut down in Bagha and Charghat upazilas over the past two years. However, stakeholders claim that trees on more than 1,000 hectares have been felled across the district. Agricultural department data show that out of 19,000 hectares in Rajshahi, 510 hectares of trees were cut down in Bagha upazila alone.
Hobi Mia, a farmer from Dhadhas village in Puthia, planted 30 mango trees on two bighas of land about a decade ago. “This year I cut down all the trees due to falling prices and decided to cultivate crops instead,” he said.
Abdul Momin, a woodcutter who also owns an orchard, said people are cutting down trees in large numbers because mango farming is no longer profitable. “The price during the season does not even cover production costs. Moreover, mango orchards have expanded in districts that previously had none, reducing demand and affecting prices,” he said.
Abu Bakkar Siddique, a mango trader at Baneshwar bazar in Puthia, said farmers earn more from seasonal crops than from mangoes. “For several years, mango growers have not been getting fair prices. As an alternative income source, they are cutting down mango trees and cultivating other crops,” he said.
Abdul Mannaf, a mango farmer from Budirhat in Charghat, said he cut down trees on his 5.5 bighas of land this year. “Mango production costs are high, but desired yields and prices are not achieved. We suffer losses every year,” he said.
Another farmer from Nimpura in Charghat, Abu Sayeed Hiru, said depending on a single annual crop is risky. “If there is low yield or poor prices, it becomes impossible to survive. That’s why we are forced to cut down mango trees and switch to other crops,” he said.
Charghat Upazila Agriculture Officer Al Mamun Hasan acknowledged that mango trees are being cut down in some areas but claimed that new productive mango saplings are also being planted on those lands.
Farmers say during the peak season, mangoes flood markets countrywide, and Rajshahi mangoes often have to compete under the same label with mangoes from other regions, which sell at lower prices. Consumers buy cheaper mangoes sold under the name of Rajshahi mangoes, further reducing prices.
Many farmers, including Abdul Majid from Helalpur in Charghat and Golam Mostafa from Monigram in Bagha, have decided to cut down all their mango trees due to continued losses.
Associate Professor of Economics at Rajshahi University, Kazi Julfikar Ali, said the main reason behind orchard destruction is declining profitability. “Rice prices and demand are higher now, making crop farming more attractive. Mangoes in Rajshahi are mostly late varieties, entering the market at the same time as mangoes from Naogaon and Rangpur, causing oversupply and price drops,” he explained. He added that mangoes are perishable and lack proper storage facilities, forcing farmers to sell at low prices or quit production altogether.
Papia Rahman Mouri, Additional Deputy Director (Horticulture) of Department of Agricultural Extension, said that about 450 hectares of mango trees have been cut down in Rajshahi over the last two years.
Deputy Director of Department of Environment Tasmina Khatun, said they do not have exact figures either. “Cutting trees will harm the environment, disrupt ecological balance, and have long-term impacts on nature,” she warned.
