Bangladeshi Catimon mango

The experimental cultivation of Katimon, an all-season mango, has been underway for the past two years on a nine-hectare plot of land located in Puthia upazila of Rajshahi district. Sources indicate that a variety of mangoes, including Fazli, Gopal Bhog, Khirsapat, Luxman Bhog, Langra, Amrapali, and Ashina, are grown on approximately 18,515 hectares of land in Rajshahi district. Given the profitability of mango cultivation compared to other crops, an increasing number of farmers in Rajshahi are expressing interest in cultivating mangoes on their own land.

Officials from the Department of Agriculture have confirmed that Katimon is a completely new variety of mango in Bangladesh and has been in the experimental stage for the past two years. It has gained popularity among farmers in Puthia, Charghat, and Bagha upazilas of the district. Farmers have noted that while all other varieties of mangoes are harvested during the summer, the Katimon variety grows throughout the year and is more profitable than other varieties.'Catimon', a mango variety originating from Thailand, is now available year-round in the Rajshahi region of Bangladesh, including the vast Barind tract. This breaks the previous record of a three and a half month harvesting season for the delicious fruit, which typically runs from May to mid-August.

Experts have noted that the trees of this exotic variety simultaneously bear mangoes and flowers or buds, resulting in three to four times the yield per year compared to conventional varieties, which only produce fruit once.

Umme Salma, the district training officer of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), has reported that Catimon mango is currently being cultivated on approximately 15 hectares of land in Rajshahi. Due to regular care and attention, the trees have shown impressive fruit growth, and the mangoes produced are being sold at a high price. As a result, more farmers are becoming interested in cultivating this variety. In response to the increasing demand, many growers have also established nurseries alongside their orchards to sell Catimon saplings.

Salma also highlighted a notable feature of this variety, stating that it is not a seasonal mango but is still delicious and sweet. Its market demand is also higher compared to other varieties.

Traditionally, mango harvesting and marketing in the region have taken place from mid-May to mid-August. However, the Catimon variety is an exception, as it is still available in local markets. Currently, these mangoes are being sold at Taka 8,000 per mound, equivalent to Taka 200 per kilogram. One kilogram of mangoes typically contains four to five fruits.

Dr. Shafiqul Islam, the principal scientific officer of the Regional Fruit Research Station, has mentioned that they are conducting research on the extent of disease infestation in the Thai variety.

Around six years ago, local entrepreneurs introduced the Catimon variety to Bangladesh from Thailand, and it quickly adapted to the local climate.

Subsequently, entrepreneurs in Rajshahi and its neighboring districts have increasingly turned to Catimon cultivation, with approximately 250 farmers now growing the fruit. This variety has directly reached the farmers, creating a new dimension in the field of mango farming. Over time, many high-yielding mangoes and modern technologies have enriched the mango production sector, gradually stimulating the region's economic sector.

Shakatwat Hossain Munshi, a mango farmer from Kanaiprara village in Puthia upazila, stated that new varieties of mangoes are being cultivated almost every year, with their quality being tested. Rafiqul Islam has established an orchard of Catimon mango variety in his village, inspiring many of his co-villagers to follow suit, bringing a new dimension to the village's economy.

Islam, a farmer from Maria village in Durgapur upazila of the district, collected 1,100 saplings of the variety at Taka 180 per piece from Dinajpur and transplanted them on 25 bighas of land on pond embankment around three years ago. Flowers started appearing in the subsequent year.

Rafiqul Islam reported that the number of fruits was unsatisfactory due to the less weight and height of trees in the following year. However, he obtained three to five kilograms of yield from each of the trees on average during the last three consecutive seasons. The Catimon trees were planted in rows of three alongside two rows of banana trees, and unlike traditional mango orchards, the trees were rarely higher than six feet.

The agricultural entrepreneur developed mango orchards on the banks of at least 14 ponds on 200 bighas of leased land. This year, he harvested mangoes worth Taka 3.5 lakh.