Rajshahi mango traders fear Eid holidays to plunge sales, hope market to boom afterwards
Farmers and traders cite two main reasons for the anticipated slump: consumers are more focused on Eid preparations than mango shopping, and most courier services are shut for the holidays, making transport of the perishable fruit a major challenge

With Eid-ul-Adha tomorrow, mango growers and traders in Rajshahi are bracing for a seasonal slowdown.
Despite the peak of the mango season, the bustling Baneshwar wholesale market — considered the second-largest mango hub in the country — saw fewer buyers yesterday (5 June), and traders fear that sales will dip further during the Eid break.
Farmers and traders cite two main reasons for the anticipated slump: consumers are more focused on Eid preparations than mango shopping, and most courier services are shut for the holidays, making transporting the perishable fruit a major challenge.
"Right now, demand is low, so we're picking fewer mangoes from the trees," said Abdus Razzak, a mango trader from Katakhali in Rajshahi. "But things will pick up the day after Eid. We're hoping prices will rise again, too."
According to traders, Baneshwar market will be closed on Eid and the following day, but business is expected to boom immediately afterward.
Yesterday, mango prices at Baneshwar remained strong due to lower supply. Gopalbhog mangoes were sold wholesale for Tk2,400 per maund, Langra for Tk1,600, Amropali between Tk1,800 and Tk2,200, Khirsapat or Himsagar also between Tk1,800 and Tk2,200, and Laxmanbhog for Tk800 to Tk1,000.
Prices had dropped the previous day by Tk300–400 per maund when supply surged, but buyers were scarce.
"It's all about the balance between supply and demand," explained Razzak. "If many buyers come from distant places, prices go up. But if there are more mangoes than buyers, prices fall."
Razzak sold high-quality Guti mangoes at Tk1,200 per maund, small Langra for Tk1,600, and Lakkhanbhog at Tk900.
"I plan to pick three van-loads of Lakkhanbhog mangoes today," he said yesterday, "but only because today's demand was decent due to lower supply."
Sohel Rana, another mango grower and trader, shared a similar sentiment.
Yesterday, he sold 16 crates (each 25 kg) of good-quality Langra for Tk2,100 per maund, and Rani Pasand for Tk1,400.
"But with so few buyers today, I won't pick any mangoes on Friday. I'll resume selling the day after Eid," he said yesterday, adding that prices are favourable now, though demand remains low.
Rana believes demand will spike post-Eid, with Langra and Khirsapat possibly selling at Tk2,500 to Tk3,000 per maund.
"I'm confident enough that I recently bought another orchard for Tk140,000. Even if I earn just Tk50,000–60,000 in profit, I'll be satisfied," he said.
With most courier services shut for Eid, transporting mangoes has become a bottleneck.
"Now only emergency mango shipments are going out," said Taufiq Imam of Saheb Bazar, who buys orchards and sells mangoes across the country. "Other than SA Paribahan, every courier service is closed."
Aynal Haque Peter, owner of Bismillah Enterprise, echoed the concern, saying, "I used to send 100 to 150 maunds of mangoes daily. But I barely managed five maunds today. Delivery delays and logistical issues have disrupted everything."
One buyer, Tarek Mahmud, shared his frustration, saying, "I wanted to send mangoes to my relatives in Savar, but they won't arrive by today. Deliveries are taking too long."
Sujit Kumar Biswas, chief scientific officer at the Rajshahi Fruit Research Center, said this kind of lull is expected.
"During Eid, everyone's mind is on the holidays. Mango consumption in cities like Dhaka drops as people leave town. Naturally, sales fall," he said.
He warned, however, that mangoes cannot stay on the tree indefinitely.
"Once they ripen, they start falling, or birds eat them. If it rains or there's a storm, many are damaged. That's why farmers are in a tough spot—hold off harvesting and risk loss, or harvest now and struggle to sell," Sujit added.
This year, mangoes are being cultivated on 19,603 hectares in Rajshahi district alone, with a production target of 260,000 tonnes. The revenue goal is a staggering Tk1,695 crore.
The market is now flooded with popular varieties like Gopalbhog, Rani Pasand, Lakkhanbhog, Khirsapat, and Langra.
While Gopalbhog is nearing the end of its season, Langra is just entering the markets.
Meanwhile, retail mango prices in Rajshahi are steady, with Gopalbhog and Khirsapat selling for Tk60–70 per kg (Tk2,400–2,800 per maund).