Abdul Jabbar is a college teacher by profession, but he has also been in the mango trade for decades. For the past 5-6 years he had been making losses, so he cut down his orchard of Fazli mangoes, which have GI recognition, and started growing pineapple.

He has not left the mango trade, however. On the pineapple land he has planted late-season Katimon mango trees, with pineapple grown as an intercrop.

Abdul Jabbar lives in Mirzapur village of Daipukuria union in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj.

"For generations our whole family has been in the mango trade," Abdul Jabbar told Jagonews24. "But for the past 5-6 years I haven't been getting a price for Fazli mangoes and have had to take heavy losses. So I decided to cut down the mango trees and start growing pineapple."

The main reason, he said, is that pineapple is not grown anywhere in Chapainawabganj. "We buy pineapples from Tangail and other districts to meet this district's demand. If pineapple is grown in the mango capital, we can meet demand with our own pineapples."

"I brought saplings from Khagrachhari and planted 26,000 pineapple plants of the Jaldubi variety on 1 acre 13 decimals. Some plants have started to fruit. So far I have spent about Tk 2 lakh, but I can't tell how much profit I will make because I have never grown pineapple before," he said.

Local resident Anarul Haque said no crop other than mango is grown in the area, but Abdul Jabbar had the courage to bring pineapple saplings from Khagrachhari. Many local people want to see his pineapple field. "I am hopeful. If Jabbar bhai succeeds, I will grow pineapple too."

Motaher Ali, a worker on the pineapple field, said he is paid Tk 300 a day, which supports his family.

Shibganj upazila agriculture officer Shariful Islam said he had visited Abdul Jabbar's pineapple field several times. He has also planted late-season Katimon mango trees on the same land. This is the first time pineapple is being grown in the district, and if it expands, people in the district will benefit economically, he said.

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