Bunches of avocado, a foreign fruit, hang from green trees in the hills, the fruit the same colour as the leaves. The garden owner will pick the ripe fruit within a few days, and many people are amazed to see this foreign fruit in the lonely hills for the first time.

Young agricultural entrepreneur Md Omar Sharif has succeeded in growing the Western fruit avocado on a trial basis for the first time in Mirsharai, Chattogram. The trees began fruiting in 2022. He has decided to expand cultivation and market seedlings in future.

Avocado is among the foreign fruits whose cultivation is gaining popularity in the country. Because it is less sweet than other fruits, it is very suitable for diabetes patients. The fruit is shaped much like a guava or pear, and each weighs about 400-800g, with a large oval seed inside.

The edible part is smooth like butter with a mildly sweet taste. Like papaya, it can be eaten raw or ripe as a fruit, a vegetable, a mash, in salads or as a drink. Avocado cream can be spread on toast instead of butter, and using it instead of mayonnaise in salads and sandwiches is healthy.

At Zohra Agro Farms and Nursery, bunches of avocado hang among the trees. Omar Sharif's garden has many local and foreign fruit trees, including Miyazaki, Kiojai, Banana Mango, Indonesian Brunei King, King of Chakapat, Alphonso, Alphanchun and Thai banana. There are also cinnamon, clove, pulasan, rambutan, apple, tamarind, Thai sapodilla, chenak fruit, Thai barikedet malta, year-round malta, Chinese orange, Darjeeling orange, China-3 lychee, lotkon, and Vietnamese and Sri Lankan coconut.

Nursery owner Md Omar Sharif said: "A few years ago I collected 10 avocado seedlings from Indonesia and planted them in the garden. Some trees began fruiting in 2022, and they have fruited again this year. Because of hailstorms, the yield is lower than last year. Avocado seedlings collected from Thailand are being sold at my nursery."

Mirsharai upazila agriculture officer Pratap Chandra Roy said: "Young entrepreneur Omar Sharif is growing the foreign fruit avocado in the upazila's hills. I have not been there yet; I will go and see it. Many people now grow nutritious foreign fruits. Avocado is full of nutrients. It prevents various diseases and is effective as a diet for people with high blood pressure, diabetes and other conditions."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.