Bangladesh will be a Land of Fruits

Bangladesh has recently achieved considerable success in producing fruits. According to the World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), fruit production in Bangladesh has increased at an average rate of 11 percent per year for the past 18 years, which has not happened in any other country in the world.

Bangladesh is now the second largest producer of jackfruit in the world, seventh to mango, eighth to Guava, fourteenth to papaya. In the last decade, the consumption of fruits of this country has become more than doubled.

Guava and watermelon are now available in the market almost all year long, which was unimaginable even a decade ago. Growth of fruit cultivation land, creation of commercial fruit gardens, expansion of fruit trees in habitat, good management of fruit trees, research, increase of people's interest in eating native fruits, introduction of new foreign fruits etc. have been instrumental in increasing the overall fruit production of the country.

A Country of Fruits:

Although Bangladesh is very small on the world map but it is full of fruits. More than four hundred species of fruits are produced in South Asian countries, of which over 100 species are produced in this country. It is said that the number of fruit varieties cultivated in Bangladesh is around 70. Number of fruits that are not cultivated here but people eat are around 60. In total, people of our country consume more than 130 varieties of fruits.

The most common and popular fruit varieties that cultivated commercially, such as mango, jackfruit, banana, guava, pineapple, papaya, watermelon, litchi, jujube (kul-boroi), coconut, various lemons. These are called seasonal conventional fruits of Bangladesh.

Among the local / deshi fruits of the country are bell (Bengal quince), Kodbel/bael, tetul (tamarind), Amra fruit (hog plum), olive, Jaam/Jam/Kalojaam (Jambul), jamrul (water apple), gulapjam (rose jaamun), orange, chinar, lukuki/torfoi, deua, kamranga, karmacha, etc. Various wild fruits are bet-fal, chapalish jackfruit, timtoah, akura, butijaam, putijaam, kaufal, boiychi, wood peanut, wild peanut, wild/forest mango etc.

Less than 1 percent of the whole cultivable land in this country is producing fruits, from which more than 5 million tons of fruits are produced annually. Of all the fruits, only mango, jackfruit and banana are produced together 63 percent of the total production where 25 percent is mango. In many forests and rural forests, wild fruits are grown, most of which are feeds of birds and wild animals.

As a means of producing the cultivated fruits, our daily current availability of fruits is 82 grams per person, but we should eat 200 grams daily. That means we can now meet 43 percent of our needs every day, if we can practice eating leftovers, then the production of fruits should be increased. In line with the population growth rate, we have to produce about 15 million tons of fruits yearly within 2030.

Research on Fruits:

A total of 177 modern varieties of 40 species of fruits have been invented by various research and educational institutes in this country. Of these, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) has invented 84 varieties fruits of 35 species, Bangladesh Agricultural University has invented 84 varieties fruits of 24 species, Patuakhali University of Science and Technology has invented 7 varieties of 5 species, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agriculture University have two varieties of two species. In addition, several technologies have been developed for fruit cultivation. Fruit production is increasing day by day with the expansion and use of these varieties and technologies.

All Season / Twelve months Fruits in Bangladesh:

Throughout the year we do not get all the fruits. It was seen that from May to August- around 54 % of the total fruits produced in these four months, and in the remaining eight months 46 percent. In fact, in the last five years, this figure of fruit production in Bangladesh has changed a lot. Large number of guava, watermelon, malta, oranges etc. produced now during the non-monsoon season, especially from September to April.

We are also producing fruits in the season other than the main season. Bananas and papas are available throughout the year. With the invention and introduction of some modern varieties, mangoes are now available for about seven months a year, once it was not available for more than two or three months. The quantity of fruit imported from abroad was around 3,56000 tons in 2017-18 year but in 2018-19 it was reduced to around 3,00,000 tons.

Fruits are more produced in side courtyard and surrounding lands in Bangladesh more than fruit-gardens. Therefore, if possible for the availability of fruits for twelve months, some fruit trees can be planted in every habitat. Such as:

• Malta (January)
• Kul (February)
• Bel (March)
• Sharifa and Aata (April)
• Jaam (May)
• Mango, litchi (June)
• Jackfruit (July)
• Guava (August)
• Amara (September)
• Olive (October)
• Pomegranate (November)
• Kamala lebu or Mandarin Orange (December)

Thus, the production of fruits can be increased further throughout the year by cultivating the fruits by planning.

Thanks,

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