The Independent, 16 July 2003
OUR CORRESPONDENT, KHAGRACHHARI
July 15: A bumper yield of jackfruit has been achieved in Khagrachhari district this year.
Agriculture experts said the soil and climate of the district are favorable for growing jackfruit.
A survey report said, there are about 50 lakh jackfruit trees in all the eight upazilas of Khagrachhari district.
Each tree bears 60 to 190 jackfruits every season. On an average three crore jackfruits are grown in the distirct every year.
The jackfruit orchards of the district have sprung up in a haphazard way.
The Agriculture Extension Department here does not maintain records of jackfruit trees in the district. The trees grow here naturally.
The farmers of the district do not use fertiliser in growing jackfruit. They are yet to be acquainted with the modern methods of cultivating jackfruit trees.
Agriculture experts said that the production of jackfruit could be doubled in the district by adopting modern methods.
Local people said, favourable climate is the main reason behind the bumper production of jackfruit this year.
All the hats and the daily markets of the district are now flooded with of jackfruits.
The jackfruit growers are earning a substantial amount of money as the price of a piece of jackfruit is better this year than that in the previous years.
A piece of jackfruit is being sold at Tk 10 to Tk 30 according to its size.
It is unfortunate that despite bumper production of jackfruit, farmers are not getting fair price of their produce due to absence of transportation, preservation and marketing facilities of the same.
Some growers said, despite the expectation of earning good profit they have to sell the fruit at throwaway prices.
Growers are bringing jackfruits from far-flung areas of the hill district everyday by rickshaws, rickshaw vans and bullock carts to different local markets for buyers. Not only the local buyers but also hundreds of jackfruit traders are visiting these markets daily.
Besides meeting the local demand a huge quantity of fruit remain stockpiled here for several days to be sent to other districts. The fruits lose taste due to long stay.
The growers alleged that a group of middlemen manipulate the market price taking the advantage of the perishable fruit.
The growers have urged the authorities concerned to take measures to ensure preservation and marketing facilities for jackfruit.