Fruit production in Bangladesh has grown by a third over the past decade. Annual output used to be roughly one crore tonnes; last fiscal year it passed 1.5 crore tonnes. Bangladesh is now an example to the world in fruit production and its growth rate, with annual growth of 11.5 to 12.5 per cent.

Data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) show Bangladesh leads the world in the growth rate of fruit production and in fruit output per hectare. Bangladesh is also now one of the world's top 10 tropical fruit producers.

An analysis of FAO data shows Bangladesh breaking record after record in global fruit production. It is now second in the world in annual jackfruit production, seventh in mango and eighth in guava.

The agriculture department says fruit production has made significant progress as commercial production has grown. Output of mango, guava, lychee, pineapple, dragon fruit, watermelon and other local and foreign species has increased, and demand for Bangladeshi fruit is growing in international markets.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), fruit growing was once limited to homestead yards but has now become large-scale and commercial. Alongside mango, guava and lychee, cultivation of local and foreign species such as pineapple, dragon fruit and watermelon has grown widely.

As a result, fruit is not only meeting domestic nutritional needs; demand for Bangladeshi fruit is also growing abroad, with regular exports to the Middle East and Europe.

DAE director general Abdur Rahim told Jagonews24: "Bangladesh is not just a wonder in production; it is now a competitor in the global export market too. The government is working to develop exports of several fruits, including mango and jackfruit."

People in the sector say fruit output could rise further if safe, quality fruit production, modern storage, expansion of the processing industry and higher exports were achieved. They say more modern technology is needed to cut waste, develop varieties and ensure year-round storage, along with programmes to ensure fair prices for growers and encourage people to eat local fruit regularly.

Agricultural economist Jahangir Alam Khan told Jagonews24 that the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) policy must be fully implemented to ensure safe and quality fruit. Developing modern varieties and building enough cold storage (cold chain) and modern storage facilities for year-round fruit preservation are also urgent, he said. "At the same time, export barriers must be removed, government support for processing increased and fair prices for growers ensured."

Data show the country now produces 1 crore 51 lakh tonnes of fruit a year, including 27 lakh tonnes of mango, 22 lakh tonnes of banana and 18 lakh tonnes of jackfruit. About 12 lakh tonnes of watermelon and 6 lakh tonnes each of papaya and guava are produced, along with two to three lakh tonnes each of pineapple, lychee and jujube. Dragon fruit output is close to one lakh tonnes.

Fruits such as black plum (jam), star fruit, wood apple, lemon, latkan (Burmese grape), custard apple and sapodilla are also grown on a large scale, along with commercial cultivation of about 12 foreign fruits including dragon fruit, malta and strawberry. Foreign fruit farming has reached new heights to meet growing demand.

According to DAE data, 1 crore 50 lakh 33 thousand tonnes of fruit were produced on 7,65,559 hectares in the last fiscal year (2024-25). Exactly 12 years earlier, in 2013-14, output was 99.72 lakh tonnes from 6,78,145 hectares.

Output then rose to 1 crore 6 lakh tonnes in 2014-15, 1 crore 10 lakh the next year and 1 crore 20 lakh tonnes after that. For the next two years (2017-18 and 2018-19) it was around 1 crore 21 lakh tonnes, and in the following years 1 crore 23 lakh, 1 crore 22 lakh, 1 crore 43 lakh and 1 crore 50 lakh tonnes. In 2023-24, output was 1 crore 48 lakh 10 thousand tonnes from 7,57,496 hectares.

Agricultural experts say people have changed their eating habits towards healthier food and their purchasing power has also risen, so overall demand for fruit has increased and more and more farmers are turning to fruit growing.

Dr Md Mashiur Rahman, chief scientific officer of the fruit division of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), told Jagonews24: "Since rice as the staple food is not so profitable, a large number of farmers are turning to fruit production."

Farmers are using every possible space to grow fruit, he said. "They are also making a profit. Young and educated entrepreneurs in particular are coming in. A lot of farmland has now turned into orchards."

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the number of fruits produced in Bangladesh has risen from 56 a decade ago to 78 now.

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