Yields high, prices low

FT ONLINE

A good yield of pineapple had brought smiles to farmers in Tangail's Madhupur but low prices cut short their happiness.

As the supply is higher than the demand, the local growers are compelled to sell the juicy fruit at painfully low prices.

Madhupur Garh is famous for producing Giant Q and Honey Queen varieties of pineapples. Wholesalers from across the country throng the area every year.

According to the Agriculture Extension Department, nearly three lakh tonnes of pineapples is grown on around 10,000 hectares at Madhupur and Ghatail upazilas of Tangail and nearby Fulbaria and Muktagachha upazilas of Mymensingh district under the Garh region.

This year, pineapples were cultivated on 6,571 hectares of land in Madhupur upazila -- Giant Q variety on 6,380 hectares and Honey Queen variety on 190 hectares.

Pineapple is cultivated mainly in Idilpur, Sholakuri, Dokhala, Beibaid, Kailakuri, Hagurikuri, Pirgachha, Alokdia, Aushnara, Digor Baid, Arunkhola, Laofula, Raniaid, Moter Bazar, Jalchhatra, Garo Bazar and Rasulpur areas of the upazila.

Visiting Madhupur's Jalchhatra, the largest pineapple market in the region, on Friday, this correspondent saw that wholesalers from across the country were gathered there.

Ruhul Amin, a farmer from Jhatarbaid area, said that although the pineapple yield was good this season, the prices were lower than that of the previous one.

"I have sold nearly 400 pineapples with large ones priced Tk 20 to 25 and the small ones priced Tk 8 to Tk 10. On an average, the price of each fruit has come down by Tk 5 to 10,” he said.

Several other growers echoed his view on the matter.

Motaleb Miah, a trader from Dhaka, said he was hoping to have good profit by selling pineapples in the capital.

“I hope to sell large size pineapple in Dhaka for Tk 40” he said.

Several pineapple growers in Madhupur said they were not getting adequate prices for their produce as they lack proper marketing and preservation facilities.

Asked about the issue, Upazila Agriculture Officer Mahmudul Hasan said process was underway to export pineapple to several European countries. 

"Local pineapple growers will get just prices if factories producing pineapple jam, jelly and juice are set up in Madhupur,” he said.

The agriculture officer also emphasised ensuring proper marketing and preservation facilities for the fruits.

 With saplings brought from Meghalaya of India, local Garo leader Jevier Chishim first cultivated pineapple at Idilpur village in Madhupur in 1942. The production of the fruit became popular in the upazila gradually.