Rising demand a blessing for Madhupur pineapple farmers

Pineapple farmers based in the Madhupur Garh region of Tangail district are ecstatic about the increasing demand for the fruit that has allowed them to secure better prices compared to previous years.

The Madhupur Garh region is known for producing a majority of the pineapples cultivated across Bangladesh each year. The pineapples grown in the region, which includes the Giant Q, Honey Queen and Aswshina varieties, are famous for their sweet, juicy flesh that bears a distinct aromatic flavour.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Madhupur upazila, pineapples were cultivated on around 6,500 hectares of land in the region.

Similarly, more than 3,000 hectares of land in the adjacent Ghatail upazila and Fulbaria upazila in Mymensingh were used to grow the fruit.

On an average, around two lakh tonnes of pineapple is produced in the country each year.

About 85 per cent of the pineapples grown in the region are the Giant Q variety, locally known as Calendar.

Of the rest, 5 per cent are the Honey Queen variety, locally called Joldungi, and 10 per cent are the Ashwina variety.

The demand for pineapples has seen an upward trend ever since the ongoing coronavirus pandemic began in March last year as the fruit is rich in vitamin C, local sources said.

During a recent visit to Madhupur upazila, it was seen that huge amounts of pineapple were on display at the four main local markets -- Jalchhatra, Ashrabazar, Moterbazar and Garobazar.

As such, the markets were abuzz with the humdrum of haggling between sellers and buyers from all over the country.

The Giant Q variety, which rules the markets between July and August, are being sold at Tk 40 to Tk 60 depending on size this year, up from Tk 20 to Tk 30 in previous years.

This is the highest price for the fruit as far as anyone can recall, according to local growers.

"We do not know actually why, whether is it for the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic or otherwise, but people are buying more of the fruits than previous years," said Ashraf Ali, a trader at Jalchatra, the largest pineapple market in Madhupur upazila.

Other than local traders, wholesalers from all over the country, including Dhaka, Gazipur, Manikganj and various northern districts, come to the markets in Madhupur to purchase pineapples during the picking season.

Earlier, local pineapple growers secured good prices for their Honey Queen variety between April and June earlier this year.

Each Honey Queen pineapple was sold for about Tk 30 to Tk 40 during that period while they had cost around Tk 15 to Tk 25 for the past few years. Abdul Kaleque Miah, a wholesaler from Dhaka who was at the Jalchatra market, said the demand for Madhupur pineapples in the capital has risen compared to previous years.

"I bought 2,000 Giant Q pineapples for about Tk 50 to Tk 58 per piece in hopes that I can sell them for Tk 70 to Tk 80 per piece in the capital," he added.

Farmer Shamsul Haque of Moterbazar in Madhupur said he cultivated pineapples on 20 bighas of his land. To his satisfaction, he has sold about 80,000 of his pineapples at high prices.

Besides, the growers are also pleased with the lower amount of rainfall this year as the fruit ripens at a time when non-stop rain usually causes problems in marketing, he added.

Local farmers informed that they will also start selling their Ashwina pineapples from September.

Although the main season for pineapples is between May and September, these locally produced pineapples can now be found year-round.

Farmer Sanwar Hossain of Garobazar cultivated pineapples on four acres of land this year.

Hossain said they have introduced a market in the area for chemical-free pineapples as the authorities monitor local production practices to ensure that fruits with excessive amounts of hormones cannot enter the market.

Hossain, also president of the Garo Bazar Pineapple Growers and Traders Cooperative Association, went on to say that a large amount of locally grown pineapples are left to rot each year due to a lack of preservation facilities.

"Local farmers incur losses as a result when their unsold pineapples turn ripe on the fields during the rains in July and August," he said.

Asked about the matter, Mahmudul Hasan, agriculture officer of Madhupur, said they already proposed for the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation to set up a fruit processing industry in Madhupur, particularly for pineapples.

"A site has already been selected for it," Hasan added.