People of the country become aware of nutrition more than in the past, resulting in the demand for the local and foreign fruits has increased with the pace of production.
Assessing the accounts of the imports, it’s seen that people of the country are consuming an average of 16 lakh 88,000 kg of foreign fruits per day, worth around Tk 27 crore.
The production of the local fruits has yearly been increased 10-12 percent. The production of Mango and Guava in the country has increased double in the last 10 years, whilst Papaya hiked 2.5 percent and Lichi has increased 50 percent.
But the import of the fruits in the 2019-20 fiscal year has reduced a bit because of the deadly coronavirus pandemic although the import of the fruits has been hiked six percent in the last five fiscal years.
Around 47 lakh metric tonnes of fruits are produced in 3.80 lakh hectares in Bangladesh but the yearly demand for the fruits is 61.17 lakh metric tonnes. The production of the fruits was 99,72,247 metric tonne in 2013-14, while the production has been made 1,21,51,934 metric tonne in 2018-19 with an increased rate of 21 percent.
According to BBS Agri-statistical yearly book-2015, a total of 46.97 lakh metric tonne fruits produced in 3.23 lakh acre lands in 2014-15 what was 43.6 lakh metric tonne in 2012-13 fiscal year. As per the statistics, the production of fruits increased by 7.7 percent per year. It has been increased 10-12 percent in recent years.
The availability of the foreign fruits reached such a level in the country that people from villagers to city dwellers can comfortably purchase it from the vendors of the makeshift and footpaths shops along with local markets with their affordable prices.
These foreign fruits are mostly sold at the markets for the five months of a year from September to January. This time the supply of the local fruits remained less than the foreign fruits. Local fruits including Mango, Litchi, and Watermelon during the season dominated its supremacy, superseding its foreign competitors.
Emeritus Professor and former Vice-Chancellor M A Sattar Mondol, agri-economist of Bangladesh Agricultural University said, “The purchasing power of people has been increased. The change in food habits has been made. Besides, the demand for the fruits increased with the pace of people’s awareness.”
“The businessmen played a vital role to mitigate the demand for nutrition by importing fruits. They are bringing new fruits from different countries. The researchers put their focuses on this side. Again, the local entrepreneurs are cultivating foreign fruits. As a result, the markets will tell which fruits will be imported or which is not,” Mondol said.
Apple among the foreign fruits is imported more. Malta is placed after it. Out of these two fruits, Orange, Pomegranate, Grapes, Pear, and Lime are being imported. Overall, around 6.16 lakh tonnes of foreign fruits have been imported in the last fiscal year. Apple and Malta were 77 percent of the total imports.
According to the reports of the American agricultural department (2020-21), Bangladesh placed third and sixth in porting Apple and Malta respectively in the world. But Bangladesh placed 14tho in consuming Malta in the world.
Currently, a total of 10-12 foreign fruits is cultivated in the country to meet the increasing demand for the fruits. The production of Dragon fruits and Avocado has been increased within the 4-5 years. On the other hand, the production of the local nutrition fruits like Pomelo, Watermelon, Lotkon, Hog plum, and Myrobalan (Amla) has been increased at a growing rate.
Bangladesh broke into the top 10 seasonal fruits-producing countries in the world. As of now, around 72 types of fruits are being cultivated in the country. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the production of fruits in Bangladesh has been hiked 11.50 percent in the last 18 years. Bangladesh placed second in Jackfruits, the national fruit of the country, production, seventh in Manago, and eighth in Guava production.
Bangladesh currently positioned 10th in producing seasonal fruits. Though it is less in length, the land for cultivating fruits has been increased by 10 percent.
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