Is Bangladesh Becoming a Fruit-Basket?

One of the smallest countries in the world, Bangladesh presents a success story to the world in the area of fruit production. Twenty years ago, Mango and Jackfruit were the two primary fruit of the country; presently, seventy-two (72) types of fruit are being cultivated; there was a time when fifty-six (56) types of fruit were under cultivation. Ninety-fourth in size and eighth in population at global scale, – a country with smallest land for agriculture and horticulture and a large population to boot, Bangladesh is now one of the global leaders in fruit production. What follows is a list of various aspects of this Success Story:

A. According to an estimate of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), over a period of eighteen (18) years fruit production in Bangladesh has been growing @ 18 percent per annum. Bangladesh is now among the top ten (10) countries in terms of aggregate production of four fruits that are globally recognized as among the major ones.

B. Bangladesh ranks second, seventh, and eighth at global scale in the production of Jackfruit, Mango, and Guava, respectively. In the production of seasonal fruit, the country ranks 10th in the world. Apart from Jackfruit and Mango, country’s seasonal fruit include Black Barry, Litchi, Papaya, Lemon, Pineapple, Fig, Water Melon, Star Fruit, Kamranga, Sofayda, Bayl etc.

C. At the same time, Bangladesh has been successful in the cultivation of new varieties of fruit. Although such a small country in terms of size, the rate at which new land has been coming under fruit cultivation in Bangladesh over the years stands out as the highest in the world. To be specific, the size of land under fruit cultivation has been growing @ 10 percent per annum over the last eighteen (18) years.

D. It’s not that only the country’s fruit production has been growing; at the same time per-capita fruit-intake has also been doubled over a period of twelve (12) years. In 2006, people used to have fifty-five (55) grams of fruit (on average) each day; whereas, in 2019 the quantity has gone up to eighty-five (85) grams per day. There was a time when people of the country used to eat, primarily, Jackfruit and Mango. Now, they have at least twenty-two (22) varieties of fruit on regular basis.

E. Over the last ten (10) years, production of Mango has doubled, while production of Papaya and Guava has more than doubled. Over the same period, production of Litchi has increased 50 percent. Over the last 4 to 5 years, production of new varieties of fruit such as Dragon Fruit and Avocado as well as production of local varieties of fruit such as Lime, Water Melon, Amloki, Amra, Lotkon, Khormooz etc. has been significantly increasing. All most all of these produces are being sold in the domestic market.

According to Mr. Sattar Mandal, the ex-Vice Chancellor of Bangladesh Agricultural University, there has been a revolution in Bangladesh in the area of ‘fruit cultivation’. Over the last ten (10) years, along with fruit cultivation on commercial basis, road-side ‘fruit tree plantation’ and plantation of fruit tree in vacant spaces around residential apartment buildings and houses have been on the rise. According to the information provided by Mr. Mandal, fruit cultivation has been a major contributing factor along with paddy, vegetable, and fish for being one of the most successful country in Food Security as well as for going up six steps in terms of World Hunger Index.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, only twelve years ago fifty-six (56) different types of fruit used to be cultivated; whereas, presently seventy-two different types of fruit are being cultivated. Research is under way so as to make another twelve (12) types of (foreign) fruit suitable for cultivation within the local environment. Already four (4) of these twelve types have been successfully cultivated within the local environment.

  Country’s Position in the World in Guava and Mango Production

Guava

According to the FAO, presently Bangladesh ranks 8^th at the global scale in the production of Guava. This has been achieved over the period of last ten (10) years. Guava production in 2018-19 fiscal has already gone up to 5 lac 16 thousand tons from 2 lac 75 thousand tons in 2007-08 fiscal, an increase of almost 88 percent.

There was a time when only local varieties of Guava used to be cultivated. About twelve years ago kazi Payara – a cross-breed between local and foreign varieties of Guava – was brought into existence. As more and more land came under cultivation of Kazi Payara, quite a few varieties of Guava were brought in the country from Thailand. Over the last six years ten (10) different varieties of Guava have come into existence at the Germplasm Center of Bangladesh Agricultural University; of these ten varieties seven (7) have their origin in Thailand. Presently, seventy (70) percent of the country’s total Guava production consist of Guava that have their origin in Thailand.   

There was a time when the largest quantity of Guava used to be found in Shoroopkathi in Pirojpur district. Presently, Guava is cultivated in most of the districts within the south and south-western parts of the country. The Directorate of Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Research Institute, and Bangladesh Agricultural University are, jointly, conducting a research so as to come up with a couple of varieties of seedless Guava. Seven (7) companies of the country have established plants for making juice from Guava. Guava and Guava juice are also being exported from Bangladesh.

Mango

According to FAO, over the last eighteen (18) years the rate of increase in mango cultivation has been the largest in Bangladesh. As mango production has increased 16 percent per year over the period, per-capita consumption of the fruit has doubled over the past ten (10) years. Ten years before Bangladesh ranked 10^th in mango production at global scale; whereas, in 2018 Bangladesh has gone up three steps and ranks 7^th in mango production in the world. A significant portion of nutrition that comes from local fruit is supplied by Mango.

There was a time when mango could be found only in the northern parts of the country. Presently, mango is being cultivated in thirty (30) districts of Bangladesh. In 2017-18 fiscal year, mango production in the country was recorded to be almost twenty-four (24) lac tons; ten years before the quantity had been only twelve (12) lac fifty-five (55) thousand tons. However, like Jackfruit, mango is also being cultivated in Bangladesh as a seasonal fruit. Recently, the Directorate of Agricultural Extension imported mango – that could be produced throughout the year – from Thailand. Saplings of this kind of mango are being cultivated on experimental basis after making the foreign breed suitable for cultivation within local environment.        

In case of mango, a change has taken place in the country. There was a time when the country’s farmers were dependent solely on various types of mangoes produced in Rajshahi and Chapai Nawabganj such as Himshagar, Gopalbhog, Langra, and Fozlee; with the emergence of a new breed of mango, Amropali, twelve years ago, the country has eventually been able to overcome geographical barriers as such. Presently, 40 percent of the country’s total mango production comes from this breed. Cultivation of Amropali has significantly increased in districts of the country’s south and south-western regions.

The following table presents a list of companies/conglomeratesas the primary suppliers of processed Mango Fruit Drinks in the country’s beverage market: 

Among the less-known brand, Mangolee of Globe Soft Drinks & AST Beverages Ltd. is worth mentioning. In recent times, PepsiCo has brought in Tropicana Frutz—a product of the world’s number one packaged juice brand—for the Bangladesh market as part of the company’s efforts to widen its presence in the beverage category. Tropicana Frutz, launched at the onset of April, 2019, is now in the process of being made and distributed nationwide by Transcom Beverages Ltd, PepsiCo’s exclusive bottling partner in Bangladesh. Among the three different types of fruit drinks that have been launched, Tropicana Frutz Mango offers an indulgent mango experience made from Ashshina mangoes, grown by farmers in Bangladesh.   

Jackfruit

In 2016 FAO published a report on mid-term goals regarding global fruit production. The report identified Jackfruit, one of the major nutritious fruits, as an alternative to meat. Total global production of Jackfruit stands at thirty-seven (37) lac tons per year. India ranks first in the production of Jackfruit, its yearly Jackfruit production being eighteen (18) lac tons, followed by Bangladesh (ten (10) lac tons per year). There has been rapid increase in Chinese import of Jackfruit, one of the most nutritious fruits in the world, over the past few years; major Jackfruit exporting country to China being Thailand and Indonesia. East Asian countries such as Japan and Malaysia are also importing substantial quantity of Jackfruit from these two East-Asian countries.

The reason why these countries don’t import Jackfruit from Bangladesh and India is this that Jackfruit in these two countries is sticky, and comes with a wild smell that people of East Asia don’t like. Scientists of the Directorate of Agricultural Extension has recently discovered a breed of Jackfruit that bear fruit during winter season; this type of Jackfruit that are found during the winter season are less sticky and less smelly; research is under way to develop saplings out of this breed. At the same time Fruit Cultivation Program of the Directorate imported saplings of Jackfruit, which is not sticky. Presently, research is under way to make the breed suitable for cultivation in Bangladesh. It will be possible to bring saplings of the new breed to the farmers in one- or two-years’ time.       

According to the Fruit Specialist and Advisor to the Fruit Program of the Directorate of Agricultural Extension, demand for Jackfruit that are not sticky is on the rise in the world market. As the local produce of Jackfruit is sticky, certain prejudice and negative attitude against the fruit is prevalent among people from the middle-class against. As cultivation of Jackfruit that are not sticky (and has a fragrance as well) increases, this very nutritious fruit will gain popularity among all classes of people in the country.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, one (1) crore and twenty-one (21) lac tons of fruit have been produced in the first six (6) months of fiscal year 2018-19, showing an increase of eighteen (18) lac tons over the past ten (10) years. The size of total land that is being used in Banana cultivation stands out to be the largest, followed by the size of total land used to cultivate Mango, Papaya, and Jackfruit. The rate at which cultivation of Guava and Litchi has been increasing remains the fastest. Besides, cultivation of Dragon Fruit, one of the major nutritious fruit in the world; Avocado; Rambutan; Strawberry; Dumoor; Malta; Bayl; Coconut; Zamboora; Rangan; Shurjo Dim; and several breeds of dates is rapidly increasing in the country.

Among the fruit that have only recently been introduced for cultivation within the local environment, twenty-three (23) different breeds of Dragon Fruit; sixteen (16) different breeds of dates; two (2) breeds of coconut; one (1) of Jackfruit; and three (3) of Mango have seen preliminary success. In one- or two-years’ time, saplings of these fruit will be distributed among the farmers. The government’s primary emphasis is to come up with saplings of superior breed of these aforementioned fruits. Research is in progress so as to produce saplings of thirty (30) different types, out of eleven (11) different breeds of fruit.    

Sources: Prothom Alo, Friday, January 18, 2019; the Daily Star, Tuesday, April 09, 2019

[1] In technical collaboration with Shezan International Ltd. of Pakistan.