A fruit fiesta
The National Fruit Exhibition 2017 was inaugurated yesterday at Agricultural Research Council in the capital's Khamarbari.
A tantalising aroma of ripe litchis and mangoes set the tone of the fair where wide arrays of succulent and colourful local fruits were put on display.
The three-day fair, concluding on Sunday, is organised by the Ministry of Agriculture with a call to plant local fruit trees.
At the entrance of the fair an exquisite fruit pyramid showcases a wide variety of fruits found across the country. Some of the popular items in the display include pineapples, mangoes, jackfruits, coconuts, bananas, guavas, Asian palmyra palms (Taal), star fruits and pomelos (Jaambura).
This correspondent found the mango stalls crowded with visitors who were overwhelmed to see so many different varieties of the fruit under one roof.
Processed and packaged fruit stalls -- carrying fruit cocktails, jam, jelly, pickles and juice -- also saw a large number of visitors.
Parents were seen introducing their children to some of the rare fruits such as fig, Lotkon and Cowa.
There is also a section where saplings of lemon, pomelo, bananas and jackfruits were being displayed.
During the inaugural of the exhibition, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury said, "Everyone should have at least 120 grams of fruit [everyday]... to stay healthy."
"Also, we need to encourage people to have local fruits like Amloki, Bel, bananas and Jaam that are high in minerals and vitamins.” She also put the emphasis on growing fruits following age-old methods and at the same time adopting advance technologies in processing and preserving fruits to attain export quality. Speaking as the chief guest, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said, "The country needs to have large-scale orchards and [more] farmers... to grow more local fruits. The horticulture centre and the research centre can take initiatives in this regard.”
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