From one to four tonnes per bigha: How a new farming method is boosting mango yields in Chapainawabganj
The Ultra High Density (UHD) method offers farmers greater control over tree height, branch management, and fruit quality while maximising yields
Three years ago, agricultural entrepreneur Ismail Khan Shamim visited the Coca-Cola Mango Project in the Philippines, various Jain Agro orchards in Coimbatore, India, and several mango farms in Thailand.
After returning home, Shamim who is also the secretary of the Shibganj Mango Producer Co-operative Society Limited, decided to adopt Ultra-High-Density (UHD) farming practices in his orchard at Academy More in Shibganj Upazila of the Chapainawabganj district.
Covering four bighas and containing around 1,000 Katchimon mango trees, the orchard is now a spectacle of lush, clustered fruit. This is how the method was introduced, and it is now redefining the way mangoes are grown in Bangladesh. It offers farmers greater control over tree height, branch management, and fruit quality while maximising yields.
The introduction of UHD in Bangladesh has been made possible through the collaborative support of Swisscontact, working in partnership with the Government of Bangladesh and the Local Government Division (LGD). Their combined efforts have enabled farmers to adopt advanced mango cultivation techniques, establish demonstration plots, and strengthen local capacity.
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In addition, Prabriddhi, a local economic development project, also supported by Swisscontact has played a pivotal role in promoting the method by providing technical support, training, and market linkages for mango growers in Shibganj.
Unlike traditional orchards, where a bigha produces around 1.3 tonnes of mangoes from just 8–12 trees, Shamim's UHD orchard yields 4–5 tonnes per bigha with more than 200 closely planted trees. The trees are maintained at human height, allowing farmers to prune, bag, and monitor every branch with ease.
"After harvesting mangoes, 6–10 inches of branches must be pruned from the top of the tree. This method ensures good yields for 25–30 years. Production is possible from the first year, unlike traditional orchards where fruiting may take 7–10 years," Shamim explained. He added that the trees are planted 6.5 feet apart in the north–south direction and 9 feet apart east–west, ensuring optimal space utilisation.
The key objective of UHD is to maximise yield and land efficiency. For example, in traditional spacing, two trees planted 20 feet apart might produce 10 kg each, totalling 20 kg. In the same space, six UHD trees could yield around 8 kg each, producing 48 kg — more than double the output.
In traditional orchards, approximately 30% of mangoes are lost due to pests, disease, or poor accessibility. In the UHD method, fruit loss is minimal. Labour costs are lower, and every branch can be easily inspected, pruned, and bagged, ensuring healthier trees and higher-quality fruit. A variety of mango types — including Langra, Amrapali, Gauramati, Bari Mango-4, Bari Mango-11, Katchimon, Hadi Bhanga, and Banana — can all be cultivated using this method.
The key objective of UHD is to maximise yield and land efficiency. For example, in traditional spacing, two trees planted 20 feet apart might produce 10 kg each, totalling 20 kg. In the same space, six UHD trees could yield around 8 kg each, producing 48 kg — more than double the output.
The method also enables farmers to adopt more health-conscious practices, such as bagging each fruit and manually controlling pests and diseases, which are difficult to implement in large, conventional trees.
Financially, UHD has been transformative. Each maund (40–45 kg) now sells for Tk8,000–10,000 through B2B marketing, compared to Tk5,000–6,000 previously in local markets. Shamim estimates that he has earned an additional Tk3,50,000 from his orchard in recent years. "This farming method is unrivalled when it comes to achieving higher yields in a shorter period and maximising land-use efficiency," he said.
Encouraged by these results, the Shibganj Mango Association — comprising 500 local growers — has established ten demonstration plots and supported around 200 other farmers in transitioning to UHD cultivation.
Prabriddhi's support has been crucial not only in technical training but also in improving market access. The project connected the Mango Association to 57 e-commerce companies, six retail sellers, four individual sellers, and 16 Facebook vendors. Since 2022, this initiative has enabled the procurement of Tk20.14 crore worth of mangoes by 87 national-level and 1,310 individual buyers. As a result, 400 farmers collectively gained Tk4.24 crore in additional net income due to a 12% reduction in costs, a 10% reduction in post-harvest losses, and a 33% price increase through online marketing and branding.
"This support enabled us to sell mangoes online nationwide, with 270 tons of premium-quality mangoes sold in 2023 alone," Shamim said. Farmers also gained essential skills in content creation, advertising, and other online marketing techniques.
With UHD production increasing, competition has intensified, creating a need for product diversification. With support from Prabriddhi, Shamim and other mango farmers took part in an exposure visit to Thailand, where they learned innovative mango-processing techniques such as producing dried mangoes, flat-skinned mangoes, and spiced mango products.
"During the visit, we were introduced to methods for using surplus mangoes to create value-added products — a concept entirely new to us," Shamim noted.
Inspired by this experience, Shamim collaborated with Prabriddhi and light engineering factories in Jashore to develop machinery for producing high-quality dried mangoes. A prototype machine has already been successfully designed and tested, and full-scale units are now ready for production.
"These products will have huge demand, as consumers here are already familiar with processed mangoes. This venture will create new employment opportunities, particularly for women, who have limited scope to work in mango gardens," Shamim remarked.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Nayan Mia said, "UHD is a very effective technology. Each branch receives sunlight, adequate water, and care, leading to higher yields." Shibganj Upazila UNO Md Azahar Ali mentioned, "With support from Swisscontact and the Upazila administration, UHD mango cultivation has achieved remarkable success. We hope all mango orchards will adopt this method, replacing older trees with UHD planting."
Beyond its technical success, the UHD method has revitalised the local economy. It has enabled farmers to produce high-quality mangoes suitable for export, reduced the need for imports during December–January, and diversified local cropping patterns. Farmers have experienced higher incomes, better resource efficiency, and improved knowledge of modern agriculture and marketing.
