Shibganj (Chapainawabganj) Correspondent :
Mango farmers and traders in Chapainawabganj’s Kansat, home to the country’s largest mango market, are expressing deep frustration over instability caused by weight discrepancies and a sudden price drop despite recent efforts by authorities to bring order to the system.
On June 5, a decision was made to resolve long-standing disputes regarding mango weights. This was followed by a directive issued by the Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner’s Office in a meeting on June 11, instructing all mango markets in the Rajshahi Division to implement a standardized trading weight of 40 kg per maund, with a commission set at Tk 1.5 per kg, effective from June 12. Although the announcement was widely publicized, the decision has largely failed to materialize in practice. The directive remains “on paper only”, according to frustrated farmers and traders – who now blame one another for its non-implementation.
On Monday morning, Babu Ahmed, a mango farmer from Mobarakpur Union in Shibganj upazila, arrived at the Kansat market with 50 maunds of mangoes transported in four vans.
Despite waiting until 10 a.m., he failed to secure a buyer. “Even when someone approaches, they want to buy at rates that would leave me with nothing but losses. Secretly, they still demand mangoes be weighed at 52 kg per maund,” he said.
When Babu referred to the official 40 kg rule, the buyer walked away angrily.
Other mango sellers, requesting anonymity, accused a “syndicate of self-interested middlemen” of manipulating the market.
They believe certain groups are actively working to damage the mango trade in Shibganj’s Kansat market. A decade ago, mangoes were traded at 42.5 to 45 kg per maund – a system farmers say was more sustainable.
Shamim, a seasoned mango trader from Binodpur Union, said: “In my 30 years in this business, I’ve never seen a year this bad. The buyers use paperwork to claim compliance, but are effectively buying at 52 kg per maund. On top of that, we have to pay Tk 1.5 per kg as commission.”
Tohrul Islam, a mango farmer and trader in Kansat, said, “When Khirsapat mangoes, which have GI status, were sold by maund, I could earn around Tk 3,200. Now with the per kg system, buyers force us to settle for an average of Tk 1,400 per maund.”
Raihan Ali, another farmer from Mubarakpur Union, said: “Earlier, I sold Lakhna mangoes at Tk 1,100 per maund, even at 52-53 kg. Yesterday, I had to sell them at just Tk 13 per kg.”
Many farmers and traders are demanding stricter enforcement of the June 11 decision and urge authorities to remove middlemen from the equation. They believe that if the government enforces the standard weight system and ensures transparency, it would restore stability to the market, allow farmers to get fair prices, and strengthen the local economy.
Shibganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Azahar Ali responded to the situation, saying:
“Mangoes should be bought and sold as per the decision of the Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner’s Office, in coordination with all stakeholders. I am receiving various complaints. By the end of this week, I plan to meet with all parties involved to address the concerns of genuine mango farmers and traders.”
