Markets in the hill district of Bandarban are now full of juicy local and foreign fruit. Even before the monsoon, various locally grown local and foreign mango varieties and other fruit have started to appear in the district's markets and fruit shops. Because they look attractive and taste good, interest in buying mangoes has risen among tourists as well as locals.

Local mango varieties are selling at Tk 60 to Tk 120 a kg, while foreign varieties cost much more. Katimon, Red Palmer and Miyazaki are selling at Tk 150 to Tk 400 a kg. Despite the higher prices, buyers are increasingly interested in foreign mangoes for their different taste.

A tour of the markets found foreign varieties on sale alongside local ones. King of Chapa was selling at Tk 200, Surjo Dim (Miyazaki) and Jambura at Tk 250, Banana and Kiojai at Tk 150, Red Queen at Tk 250 and Chengmai at Tk 250. Local mangoes sold at Tk 60 to Tk 120.

Black plums (jam) were selling at Tk 200 a kg. Jackfruit cost Tk 100 to Tk 300 depending on size, and lotkon Tk 50 for 30 pieces. Rajshahi lychees were available at Tk 360 and China Two and China Three lychees at Tk 350.

However, the Rangoai and Amrapali mangoes widely grown in Bandarban were not yet on sale, as they had not ripened.

Local buyer Md. Asaduzzaman Rafiq said foreign mangoes look tempting but are expensive. "Since local varieties have not yet come to market in enough quantity, I am buying these."

Rahul, a tourist from Dhaka, said: "I came with my family for the Eid holidays. The foreign mangoes in the market looked so good in size and appearance that I bought 5 kg of Red Queen and Surjo Dim."

Traders said the hill climate and soil give Bandarban's mangoes a distinct taste and aroma. As fewer chemicals are used, these mangoes are relatively safe, so people come from far away as well as locally to buy hill mangoes.

Fruit seller Bikash said his shop has King of Chapa, Surjo Dim, Banana, Kiojai, Red Queen, Chengmai and local mangoes. Because of demand, the foreign mangoes are being sold at Tk 150 to Tk 300.

According to the agriculture department, mangoes were grown on about 10,200 hectares in the district last year. Of this, 65 per cent was Rangoai, 30 per cent Amrapali and 5 per cent local and hobby foreign varieties. The average yield was 11 to 12 tonnes a hectare.

Abu Naim Mohammad Saifuddin, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Bandarban, said he was on leave and would give details on his return.

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