The fruit of fortune
Roadside fruit stands stacked with oranges are actually a common sight in Dhaka, particularly in urban residential areas and kitchen markets.
If you ask such vendor about the foundation of their manufacture, you will come to be aware of that much of it really is grown locally.
"These come from various options such as Rangamati, Panchagarh and Sylhet," explained Mohammad Leon, a good fruit vendor found around Mohammadpur Krishi Market, among the capital's largest kitchen markets.
The 29-year-old was selling oranges for Tk 100 per kilogram on December 25 after buying it from the wholesale marketplace at Dhaka's Badamtali.
"We get locally grown oranges between November and January but also for the rest of the year, we sell the ones which come from India and China," he said.
In recent years, orange cultivation has increased thanks to the introduction of latest varieties and an evergrowing interest among farmers to build up orchards. The fruits had been produced on more than 4,000 hectares of land in fiscal 2019-20.
Including tangerines, citric fruits were grown about 7,500 hectares of property within the last fiscal yr, data from the Division of Agricultural Expansion (DAE) shows.
About six years ago, these fruits were grown on only 2,000 hectares, said Mahedi Masood, project director of a Tk 300-crore year-round fruits cultivation project beneath the agriculture ministry.
"The fruits are as well grown in Dinajpur, Chuadanga and Meherpur. It really is even grown in the southern district of Bhola," he explained, adding that farmers have developed orchards on almost 20,000 hectares.
Subsequently, imports will decline in the next few of years because of increased local production.
"Bangladesh's climate is well suited for orange cultivation. On the other hand, planting did not expand during the past in lack of good kinds for cultivation," Masood explained.
Bangladesh imported 250,700 tonnes of citrus fruits in fiscal 2018-19 but the worth fell drastically the next year, info from the DAE's plant quarantine wing shows.
"'We saw an excellent yield this year. Orchards extended in this village during the last 10 years. You will notice every household has a lot more than 300 plants," said Morshed Mia, an orange farmer of Moulvibazar in the northeast division of Sylhet.
Mia, who also started his orchard with 50 plants 15 years back, now has 1,200 orange plants to tend to.
"This fruit has brought fortune for my family. I was able to send my son overseas with the salary from the orchard," he explained, adding that it takes about eight a few months for an orange to mature after flowering.
Kabir Ahmed, deputy director of the DAE's fruits and flower horticulture wing, said wellbeing consciousness has increased and persons eat more fruits and vegetables these days.
"The growing demand and relatively more significant prices of fruits was also a driving force behind the farmers' decision to choose orange and tangerine," Ahmed said.
The DAE produces more grafting of orange and tangerine to inspire farmers to build up orchards.
"We are training the farmers and trust production will increase in the returning years," he added.
