Amropali paves way for economic prospect in CHT
An Amropali tree at a mango orchard in Rangamati. Photo: STAR
Mango farming in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is gradually gaining popularity among the indigenous people instead of traditional jhum cultivation as it paves way for economic prospect for them. The indigenous people get inclined to mango cultivation, popularly known as Amropali, as it ensures brighter prospect and offers handsome return than traditional jhum cultivation. With technical support from a local NGO, Development Concern, which played a vital role in reducing pest attack on the mango farms, the farmers in Rangamati got a bumper yield of 'Amropali' this year. Amropali farming has already helped a good number of mango growers in Rangamati change their wheel of luck. Some 1350 hectares of hilly slope in Rangamati were brought under mango farming so far under Horticulture Development Project of Department of Agriculture Extension. A total of 5100 mango farms have been created in three hill districts under the project. According to sources in DAE, some 14,850 metric tons of mangoes mostly 'Amropali' have been cultivated so far at 100 orchards involving 7000 people in Rangamati. “I got only five mounds of mangoes from 200 trees last year due to severe pest attack. However, I have already harvested 12 mounds from my farm and expect to harvest double from rest of the trees," said Ful Kumar Chakma, a mango farmer at Sapchhari in Rangamati Sadar upazila. He said he is getting good yield of Amropali due to technical support of Development Concern. “Timely spray of proper pesticide as per their suggestion helped me save the farm from pest attack and get the good harvest,” he said. Dipen Dewan, adviser of Development Concern, said they are giving technical support to the farmers for achieving expected result. This year many growers harvested bumper yield of mangoes since they could save their farms from pest attack.” He said they have given technical support to at least 20 farms this year and hope to expand it next year. During visit to different mango orchards at Wagga, Chhilchhari and Chitmorong in Kaptai, Sapchhari, Balukhali, Bondukbhanga, Jibtali, Mogban in Sadar upazila, Kalampati and Betbunia in Kawkhali upazila, this correspondent found a large number of orchards with plenty of mangoes. Md Lise Uddin, deputy director of DAE, said Mango can be produce in large scale in hills bringing thousands hectares of fellow land under fruit orchards. There is huge potential for mango farming in the hills that are enough to meet the demand of whole country, he said. About the pest attack on the mango farms, he said the pest attacks the farms as the farmers do not clear their gardens timely and they are almost ignorant about pest attack.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments