Exotic banana agnisagor faces extinction

Agnisagor, an exotic variety of banana that assumes different colours at different stages of growth, is on the verge of extinction in the district.

Now only three or four plants of this variety exist in the orchard of Shamsul Islam, a fruit seller of Kanaikata village in Sadar upazila, as the owner takes special care for the purpose.

The banana was found at the orchards or house yards of solvent and luxurious people even 30-40 years ago, said several elderly people like Gaffar Hossain, 65, of Balagran village in Jaldhaka upazila, and Bimol Roy, 64, of Itakhola village in Sadar upazila.

It gets pink at tender stage, red at mature stage, and orange before ripening.

When ripened, it assumes reddish orange colour and the inner eatable portion is creamy, soft and tasty.

Aftabuddin Ahmed, a horticulturist of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), informs that this banana was once widely found in South America where it is called Red banana or red Dacca banana.

Fruits with reddish orange colour, like agnisagor banana, contain different vitamins and minerals that are useful for human body.

Shamsul Islam, the lone owner of the special variety banana plants in the district, said the fruit has medicinal qualities like cure for different intestine diseases and pain.

"I gave tender plants to many of his friends and relatives for cultivation but it did not survive as the cultivation procedure is difficult and agriculture officials hardly give any attention to it.

"To get quick profit, people cultivate popular varieties of bananas like sagor, sabri, chini champa etc. Those give yield in a short time but agnisagor takes up to 12-14 months for giving output," he said.

The agriculture department of the government should conduct research to save agnisagor banana from extinction, said Sridam Das, an activist of Save Nature.

GM Idris, deputy director of DAE, said, "People usually prefer those variety of crops or fruits that gives yield shortly and sells well for cheap prices. Agnisagor banana probably does not belong to the category."