RAJSHAHI, June 11, 2022 (BSS) - Mango business through online has become a blessing to many people of Rajshahi, including youths and students, during the current season as they earn money after the best use of modern information and communication technologies.

Online mango business has generated employment for them on one hand and the mango growers are getting fair prices on the other hand. Apart from this, the consumers are getting formalin-free and fresh mango according to their demands timely.

 After getting online orders, they pluck mango from the orchards-- packaging on the spot and finally sending those to the clients through courier services, sources said.

Sadrul Islam, Director of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industries, said many of the students and other youths are engaged in online mango trading directly by best uses of the modern technologies, making profit.

In the mango business hubs in both urban and rural areas, presence of buyers is insignificant but the business intensity has become visible to a greater extent through phone-call, imo, Viber, WhatsApp and Messenger.

Salahuddin Ahmed accompanied by three of his friends is doing brisk mango business through their facebook page named 'Rajshahi Mango Products' at present.

"We are getting orders of supplying mango from different parts of the country including the capital Dhaka continuously through the facebook page," Ahmed, a resident of Meerganj village under Charghat Upazila, said.

They have already delivered around 1,500 kilograms of mangoes and received orders of 7,500 kilograms more.
 
Ahmed said trading of mangoes online has gained a peak everywhere in the region benefitting both the sellers and buyers.

Business online platforms have gained popularity to reach the mangoes to the doorsteps of the buyers amid the current virus situation.
 
Many of the young entrepreneurs in the region have started selling mangoes online after the best uses of facebook and WhatsApp like various social media.

 
Rashedul Islam, a former student of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism in Rajshahi University, has already sold around seven tonnes of mangoes in different parts of the country through his Facebook page 'Mango Shop'.

He has a target of selling around 150 tonnes of mangoes this season. He has 20 people at the field level and 35 people for collecting and packaging mangoes in different areas expressing his gratitude to the government for expanding the ICT sector to the village level.

Siam Rezwan, former news presenter of a private television channel, has been doing the online mango business in Rajshahi for the last couple of years and has already sold over 50 mounds of mango to various destinations including the capital Dhaka during the current season.

He said he is getting massive responses from my facebook friends and followers in this regard and he's purchasing mango from various orchards directly and after packaging sending those through courier services.

He said the packaging system has been furthermore improved after receiving complaints at the beginning that the mangoes sent through courier were damaged.

Rezwan mentioned that services of the entire couriers must be transparent and accountable so that the delivery of mangoes remains perfect.

Shamsul Wadud, additional director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, said there are more than 2.62 lakh mango growers and orchard owners in the region and around 1.35 lakh people are engaged in various activities related to mango harvesting, segregating, packaging, transporting and marketing.
 
He added that the DAE has set a target of harvesting around ten lakh tonnes of mangoes from 80,500 hectares of land in the region this season while last year's production was 8,31,940 tonnes from 72,909 hectares of land.
 
Agricultural expert Wadud said mango harvesting season has emerged as a way of income for many students.

During the current season, large numbers of people are seen engaged in mango plucking, transportation, segregation and packaging with much interest.