Roadside mango stalls do brisk business in Sylhet

With summer, mangoes—popularly known as the king of fruits in the country—are now being showcased at several temporary stalls in the Sylhet, such as the Kodomtoly, Puler Muck, Bondor, Court point, Zinda bazar and other locations.
Almost all the popular varieties of mangoes, such as Langra, Gopalbhog, Himsagar, Aam Rupali, Guti Aam and Harivanga, can be found at these mini mango fairs. Customers are also buying as many mangoes as they can, as prices are comparatively reasonable, compared to the previous year.
Seasonal businessmen are collecting mangoes from the wholesale markets at Rajshahi and Chapainababganj, where mangoes are cultivated widely for commercial purposes. But most businessmen of Sylhet usually contract directly with the farmers and collect mangoes from the gardens to make sure that the  fruits are free of chemicals, such as carbide.
The businessmen are booking good profits as they buy mangoes at cheap rates and sell them in the Sylhet at around double the prices. Because of the holy month of Ramzan, sales of mangoes have risen much more than in the previous years.
Many young people, who are not traders by profession, have also forayed into the temporary mango business to make a fast buck. Cost effectiveness, small amounts of investments, instant profits, little scope to count losses and low investments in shops are the main reasons.
Besides, the target customers of the seasonal businessmen are their acquaintances, relatives, friends and neighbours, which make it easy for them to sell their goods.
The young businessman said he has bought each kilogram of mango at an average cost of Tk. 25 to Tk. 30, depending on the variety, and sells it in the market at Tk. 60 to Tk. 70. He has booked profits of Tk. 1,000 to Tk. 1,200 per mound. He has earned around Tk. 90,000 with a Tk. 50,000 investment, or a profit of Tk. 40,000 in a month.
Moshiur explained: “It is not necessary to invest a huge amount of money to engage in the mango business.
A young businessman like me cannot do business with a lot of Sylhet. Besides, there is no risk associated with this business, as the fruits can be consumed by my family as well.
In addition, many of my customers are my acquaintances, neighbours, friends and relatives, apart from other customers.
According to him, most people often do not trust the professional mango sellers in the capital as they allegedly mix carbide in the mangoes, which is harmful to human health.
“That is why people who know me personally usually seek to buy mangoes without chemicals.”