<i>Amropali ushers in hope for CHT farmers</i>
An Amropali tree is in full bloom at the orchard of Dharmika Chakma at Headman Para in Khagrachhari.Photo: STAR
Full bloom of Amropali trees have increased prospect of a bumper production of mango in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) this year. Sources at Khagrachhari District Horticulture Office said the hybrid variety of Amropali cultivation that began in the hills nine years ago has opened up a great scope for the farmers at 25 hilly upazilas in the CHT with promises of hefty financial gains. The production of Amropali, a new variety of hybrid mango, is likely to change the fate of farmers this year because of huge budding on the mango trees, the officials and farmers said. The hills with its suitable soil, favourable climate and fertile land have all the potentials to become another leading mango-producing region like Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj, they said. Amropali is now being cultivated in at least 3,000 small and 146 large gardens in the hill districts of Khagrachhari, Rangamati and Bandarban, sources said. Horticulturist Mizanur Rahman of Khagrachari Horticulture Centre said there are over 1,000 small and large Amropali gardens in the district. Most of those are located at Dighinala, Matiranga, Ramgar, Khagrachhari Sadar, Panchhari, Manikchhari, Mohalchhari and Laxmichhari. "Budding has started early this year. The weather, temperature and soil are suitable for Amropali cultivation in the hills," he told this correspondent. Horticulturalists expect a yield of around 3.50 lakh maunds of mango from the gardens of three hill districts if the weather lasts another two months. Khargachhari is likely to produce over 1.5 lakh maunds while Bandarban 90,000 and Rangamati one lakh of Amropali mango, they said. The horticulture centres distributed about 70,000 Amropali plants in Khagrachhari, Rangamati and Bandarban in last three years while the farmers and others collected over one lakh Amropali trees on their own, sources said. “Amropali variety gives financial benefit more than other mangoes as its price remains at least Tk 20.00 to Tk 30.00 per kilogram higher than others," farmer Shahaz Uddin of Zaliapara at Ramgar upazila said. Darmika Tripura, from headmanpara under sadar upazila in Khagrachhari, said Amropali variety has ushered in a hope for the farmers as well as the people of CHT as it is popular in the region. Deputy Director of Agriculture Extension Office TM Monjurul Islam said they are trying to expand its cultivation since the weather and soil conditions are suitable for it. Deputy Commissioner (DC) AKM Khairul Alam told The Daily Star that the farmers here now feel more encouragement in the cultivation of Amropali variety of mango seeing the huge prospect of financial benefit.
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