A mango weighing almost five kilograms may sound hard to believe, but such a fruit has become the centre of attention at the three-day National Fruit Fair under way in the capital. Many visitors are crowding round to see the giant mango, a variety called 'Brunei King'.

Besides Brunei King, large and eye-catching foreign varieties such as Miyazaki, King Of, Kesoai, Red Palmer and Pusa Urnim are also drawing visitors. BARI-developed Jara lemon, sunmam, cocoa, BARI jackfruit, black plum (jam), lychee and a range of other local and foreign fruits are on display too.

The scene was observed on the afternoon of 20 June at the National Fruit Fair held on the grounds of the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) at Khamarbari in the capital. The fair, which began on 18 June, ends today, with a closing ceremony in the afternoon.

The Brunei King mango is on show at the stall of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE). An official at the stall said the fruit weighed 5kg and had been brought for display. Mangoes of this variety weigh 3 to 5kg, he said, and yield well where the soil is good.

Md Arifur Rahman, project director of the Exportable Mango Production Project, told Jagonews24: "This mango has been grown in the country for many years. It grows more in the hills; you could call it a hill mango. The fruit weighs 3 to 5kg."

Answering a question, Arifur Rahman said: "This mango is good for industrial use. It is hard for a household to take. How many members of a family can eat such a big mango together? Even at a minimum of Tk 60 a kg, a 5kg mango would cost Tk 300, and in reality you won't be able to buy this mango for Tk 300. Once cut, the mango cannot be kept either. It is good for use in the processing industry."

A stall called Shahriar Enterprise was showing a colourful range of varieties. Foreign mangoes named Miyazaki, King Of, Kesoai, Red Palmer and Pusa Urnim were on display, while local varieties including Haribhanga, Amrapali, Nag Fazli and banana mango were on sale. The firm produces GAP-certified, BSTI-approved mangoes, mainly for export.

Ansar Ali, owner of the Dinajpur-based Shahriar Enterprise, told Jagonews24 that he had brought 3 tonnes of mangoes to the fair and had sold about one and a half tonnes so far. His mangoes cost Tk 20 to 30 a kg more to produce than those of other firms or farmers, he said, because they are grown entirely safely without any chemicals. The foreign varieties on show will take more time to ripen, and all of them are grown on his farm. He added that his orchard produces 20 varieties of mango and five of lychee.

Mangoes of various kinds were selling at Tk 80 to 140 a kg at the fair. Lychees were going for Tk 1,000 to 1,200 per hundred and black plums for Tk 200 to 300 a kg. An official of Miru Fal Bhandar said they were selling banana mango at Tk 140 and other mangoes at Tk 90 a kg, and had sold 70 to 80 crates so far. Mango is the fair's best-selling fruit.

Habiba Umme Dilshad, a Holy Cross student visiting the fair, said: "I had never seen such colourful varieties of fruit before. I didn't even know there were so many kinds of mango. There should be more fairs like this. It is only for three days; with government patronage, a fair like this should run for at least 15 days."

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