Rajshahi mangoes must now be bought and sold by kg, not by maund

The Rajshahi divisional commissioner's office has decided to stop selling mangoes in the Rajshahi division by maund.

The divisional commissioner's office said mango trading must be conducted based on weight in kilogrammes starting today (6 June).

The decision was made during a meeting yesterday (5 June) at the divisional commissioner's office. Stakeholders from Naogaon, Rajshahi, Natore, and Chapainawabganj attended the meeting.

Traditionally, in the Rajshahi region, wholesalers purchase one maund of mangoes weighing between 42 and 55 kilogrammes while paying farmers the price of only 40 kilogrammes — the standard definition of one maund.

Despite various administrative attempts to stop this unfair practice, known locally as "dholon," it has continued. Authorities now believe that switching to kg-based trading will put an end to this exploitation.

To address this issue, applications were submitted from various areas, leading to a discussion during the Divisional Development Coordination Meeting on 28 April.

Following that meeting, a letter was sent to the Ministry of Agriculture requesting a nationwide directive to enforce the kilogramme-based mango trading.

However, no decision has yet been received from the ministry.

With the mango market currently in full swing and mangoes still being sold by maund in different quantities across various markets, mango farmers, wholesalers, and traders from Shibganj and Kansat in Chapainawabganj gathered at the divisional commissioner's office on Wednesday (4 June), urging for a unified trading system across all districts in the region.

In response to their request, a meeting was convened yesterday with mango stakeholders from Naogaon, Rajshahi, Natore, and Chapainawabganj. It was chaired by Divisional Commissioner Khondaker Azim Ahmed.

A press release issued in the afternoon stated that the demand for mangoes produced in the Rajshahi division is high across the country. Due to this region's superior quality of mangoes, exports have recently begun to various countries.

However, farmers have long been burdened by inconsistent weight practices during sales. When farmers take their produce to wholesalers, they are often forced to sell one maund of mangoes weighing 42–55kg while receiving payment for only 40kg.

Since mangoes are perishable, farmers feel compelled to accept these unfair terms, often resulting in financial loss.

After the meeting, it was unanimously decided that all mango trading, whether retail or wholesale, must be conducted per kg, considering variety, grade, and quality.

It was also decided that wholesalers will not be entitled to any commission at any stage of the buying or selling process.

Furthermore, it was agreed that a letter would be sent to the Ministry of Agriculture to adopt this system nationwide.

The decision will be implemented across the Rajshahi division starting today, and efforts will be made to publicise this new directive widely.