Madhupur is still famous for producing tasteful varieties of pineapple such as Honequeen, Giantque and Ghorasal.

Farmers said the cost of production of one piece of pineapple was around Tk 3 while they are selling a piece almost at the same price to traders.

Traders are selling pineapple at an exorbitant price at their will, producers alleged.

Pineapple farmers said they could not earn profit from the fruit because they were forced to sell the gardens at throwaway prices during its budding stage due to abject poverty.

While visiting different pineapple wholesale markets in Madhupur upazila, this correspondent saw a pair of mrdium size pineapple was sold at Tk 30 while a pair of big size pineapple was on sale at between Tk 40 to 50.

Farmers alleged they face problem in carrying pineapple to Dhaka and elsewhere in the country due to bad communication system.

After harvest, they have to carry their produce to Madhupur Radar, Pakutia, Jalchhatra, Rashulpur and Gabtoly markets by rickshaw vans through a 12-kilometre damaged and muddy road. This results in increase in transport cost, farmers said.

Besides, there is no designated place as pineapple market. So, they have to sell their produce at temporary markets along both sides of roads in Madhupur, Jalchhatra, Rashulpur, and Pakutia which creates traffic jam on the Tangail-Mymensingh Highway.

Farmers have no storage facilities to preserve pineapple. The fruit should be consumed within four days of plucking, they said.

While talking to this correspondent a pineapple trader named Abdul Mazid of Madhupur Sadar said, 'A large quantity of pineapple are damaged every year in absence of preservation facilities and due to bad communication system.'

Many pineapple farmers in Madhupur are now showing much interest in banana cultivation because of its profitability.

Officials at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Tangail, said farmers cultivated pineapple on 7,022 hectares of land in the district this year. Of those, 5972 hectares in Madhupur and 1,050 hectares in Ghatail.

About 90,000 tonnes of pineapple were produced in the district last year. Of those, 76,000 tonnes of pineapple were produced in Madhupur and 14,000 tonnes in Ghatail.

A large quantity of pineapple were produced at Jalchhatra, Telki, Sholakuri, Rashulpur, Amritara, Beribaid, Aushnara and Kakraid areas in Madhupur upazila.

Many pineapple farmers are allegedly passing hard days, growers alleged. Pineapple farming is losing popularity among farmers due to its lower price, transport problem and unscrupulous businessmen's lust for much profit, growers said.