Ansar Ali became one of the first to commercially produce avocados in the country in 2006, opening up a brand new avenue of income for farmers around the country. 

The exotic fruit, botanically a berry, had become a favourite among the health-conscious in the capital and was previously only available through imports. Avocados pack a punch as they are highly nutritious and have heart-healthy compounds.

The green-skinned, egg-shaped fruit grows on large trees and are encased in a large berry. The single seed, known as a pit or stone, in each of these berries ripen after harvesting.

Ansar, 50, a farmer, has made a name for himself at the Buzruk Shorka village under Bogura's Shibganj upazila for his efforts in growing foreign varieties of rather expensive vegetables.

He cultivates other crops like asparagus, sweet corn, broccoli, baby corn, lettuce, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, beetroot, red lettuce, Thai basil, six varieties of capsicums, Thai ginger, Thai onions, and Chinese cabbage on 25-30 bighas of land.

“We earn Tk 10 to 12 lakh in profits a year,” said his daughter-in-law Mili Begum. The thirty-seven year old helps him out on the field and knows the ins and outs of his trade.

Ali undertakes a six hour journey to the capital himself to market his goods to vendors in Banani, Gulshan and Kawran Bazaar.

It was during one such trip that he learned about the avocado.

In 2000, he brought back the fruit from Manik Mia, a fruit vendor in Dhaka, and tried to graft it. He planted two saplings on a piece of unused land near a pond on his property.

Much to his delight, the two trees matured and first bore the fruit in the year 2006. Ali now has 25 trees altogether.

“Last year, ten trees bore around 255 kilograms of avocados, which I sold for more than Tk 1 lakh,” he said. 

This year, he has already harvested 90 kilograms from five trees and sold those to his regular vendors in Dhaka on August 29 for Tk 35,000. 

“This fruit enables a grower to reap returns every year with low investments,” said Ali.

Ali mostly cultivates winter crops, leaving him relatively free for the rest of the year. The avocado trees bear flowers once a year in March and can be harvested around August.

The hardworking farmer is now a role model for his peers across Bangladesh.

“I purchased nearly 15 bighas of land from the proceeds of my sales.”

On September 17, 2011, he was even awarded the Best Agro Entrepreneur of the year at the Citi Micro Entrepreneurship Award 2010 and he received the award from Finance Minister AMA Muhith and then Governor of Bangladesh Bank Atiur Rahman.

Abdur Rahim (horticulturist), deputy director of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Bogura, said, “Ansar Ali was the first to cultivate this crop commercially in this region. Three years ago, I visited his field and brought back three saplings for research purposes at the institution as well.

“Demand for avocados in Bangladesh is increasing day by day due to its nutrition value. If farmers can make seedlings through grafting, it will not take long to bear fruit.”

Saifur Rahman, deputy director of Chapainawabganj Horticulture Centre, said, “The fruit has 34 percent monounsaturated fats, which are beneficial for the heart. Saturated fat reduces bad cholesterol and triglycerides and increases the amount of good cholesterol.

“In the last few years, farmers have begun growing avocados in Chapainawabganj, Dinajpur, Narayanganj and Bogura for commercial purposes.

“However, there is one technical aspect to growing this fruit. Avocado saplings need to be planted in a group of 4-6. Otherwise the yield will not be good due to pollination problems. For commercial purposes, it is best to plant more than eight trees on the same piece of land at a time,” the horticulturalist said.

About 500 avocado seedlings are being produced under the project Year Round Fruit Production for Nutritional Improvement (YRFP) at the Gazipur Nurbagh Model Horticulture Center, said Rahman. “We will distribute it at threshold levels throughout the country by district horticultural centres to tackle nutrition deficiencies among the population.”

On the main obstacle to farming seasonal fruits, Ali said there is a lack of cold storage facilities across Bangladesh. “I mainly grow seasonal crops, but there is demand the whole year round. If we could properly store these crops, we could get good prices throughout the year.”