A dozen years ago dragon fruit, strawberries, rambutan or avocados were rarely seen in Bangladesh's markets, and when they were, their prices were beyond ordinary people's reach. Now that they are grown in the country, they are easy to find, cheaper and increasingly popular.

These fruits are now available in fruit shops from the capital down to upazila level. Foreign mango varieties and the year-round Vietnamese jackfruit are also gaining popularity. Agriculture officials say both production and demand for new fruit varieties are growing fast.

Fruit expert Dr Mehedi Masud, former director of the Year-round Fruit Production for Nutrition Improvement project, told Jagonews24: "The popularity of foreign fruits in the country has grown since the coronavirus pandemic. During Covid people ate more fruit than before, so their interest in new and nutritious fruits grew. That is the biggest reason foreign fruits have become popular."

"Because Bangladesh's climate is tropical and subtropical, almost all the fruits of this region of the world have the potential to be grown here. Fruits such as dragon fruit, rambutan, avocado and strawberry have already arrived, and more new fruits will come to Bangladesh in future," he said.

Agricultural expert and consultant Dr Surajit Sarkar believes foreign fruits have become popular for three main reasons. He told Jagonews24: "First, these fruits are attractive and fetch good market prices, so farmers are keen to grow them. Second, they are available all year; foreign mango varieties are now available year-round, and so is foreign jackfruit." His final reason: "They do not spoil easily and keep well for a long time in our climate. That is why growing foreign fruits has become popular in the country."

Asked about the spread of foreign fruits and the prospects for local ones, Mohammad Arifur Rahman, project director of the Department of Agricultural Extension's (DAE) exportable mango production project, told Jagonews24: "Many consumers, especially children and teenagers, like foreign fruits such as apples, oranges and malta."

He said the country's fruit season is mainly limited to May to August, so foreign fruit has to be imported to meet nutritional needs at other times of the year, and that extending the availability of local fruit could reduce dependence on foreign fruit.

"For this, scientists' research should be used to extend fruit seasons and ensure a year-round supply of local fruit," he said. "I believe the nutritional value of local fruit is higher than that of any foreign fruit. At the same time, if quality production and storage can be improved, there will be big potential for exporting local fruit."

Among foreign fruits in the country, dragon fruit, strawberry, Thai guava, rambutan, longan and avocado stand out, and the year-round, latex-free Vietnamese jackfruit is gaining particular popularity. Among mangoes, production of foreign varieties such as Katimon, Gourmati, Ilamati, Banana Mango, King of Chakapat, King of Chiang Mai, American Palmer, Kiujai, Miyazaki (Egg of the Sun, or Surjodim), Taiwan Green, Brunei King and Nam Dok Mai is rising.

Dragon fruit production keeps growing. The fruit first arrived around 2004-05 and was later spread across the country through demonstration plots under a DAE project. In a dozen years output has gone from zero to nearly 100,000 tonnes, and it has already become known as a new fruit of the country.

According to the DAE, 8,695 tonnes of dragon fruit were produced on 695 hectares in 2020-21, 13,872 tonnes on 1,115 hectares in 2021-22, 51,287 tonnes in 2022-23, 68,613 tonnes in 2023-24 and 78,749 tonnes in 2024-25. Production could reach 100,000 tonnes in the current 2025-26 financial year.

Khorshed Alam of Kurigram has succeeded growing dragon fruit, earning as much as Tk 3 lakh a year. "Dragon fruit is a long-term crop and a profitable one," he said. "There is some cost at the start but little afterwards. Unlike other crops, where the plants always need care, fertiliser and pesticide, dragon fruit is very good in that respect. With a little care, it can be grown."

Asked why the fruit has become popular, Dr Mehedi Masud told Jagonews24: "Dragon fruit quickly won acceptance for its nutritional value, and it keeps for a long time. Government support has also played an important role in its popularity." Noting that about 8,000 demonstration orchards were set up across the country, he said: "If you work in a planned and systematic way to spread a fruit, success can come quickly, and dragon fruit is an example. Dragon fruit has already been exported from Bangladesh to Europe."

Although popular, strawberry production has gone up and down. According to the DAE, 389 tonnes were produced on 84 hectares in 2020-21, rising to 789 tonnes on 101 hectares in 2021-22 and 1,635 tonnes on 179 hectares in 2022-23. In 2023-24 the area fell to 154 hectares and output to 1,316 tonnes, and in 2024-25 the area fell further to 82 hectares and output to 700 tonnes.

Farmers in Joypurhat are profiting from commercial strawberry growing. Joypurhat farmer Ali Akbar said: "I have been growing strawberries for about eight years. This time I grew them on two bighas. A bigha costs at most Tk 1.2 lakh, and with a good crop sales reach Tk 3 lakh to Tk 4 lakh."

Strawberries spoil if they are not marketed within four to five hours, and fruit expert Dr Mehedi Masud believes processing and more storage capacity are needed to keep the fruit popular.

Agriculture officials say that over the past decade new varieties have been added to some traditional fruits. For mango these include Katimon, Banana Mango, King of Chakapat, King of Chiang Mai, Red Palmer, Kiujai, Miyazaki, Taiwan Green, Brunei King and Nam Dok Mai. Of these, Katimon has taken up the most land, thanks to its year-round bearing habit.

Officials said Katimon is grown year-round in Bangladesh. In season it sells for Tk 100 a kg, but in winter its price in the country rises to Tk 500 a kg. New shoots on other mango trees do not flower until they are seven to eight months old, but Katimon flowers on three- to four-month-old shoots, which is why it fruits three times a year.

The spread of local Langra, Gopalbhog and Fazli mangoes is slowing, mainly because these varieties bear well one year and poorly the next. They are losing popularity, and new and foreign varieties are taking their place.

For jackfruit, officials said the year-round, latex-free Vietnamese jackfruit is especially popular. The Year-round Fruit Production for Nutrition Improvement project distributed 156,000 grafts of year-round jackfruit. These are now used as mother trees for making grafts at horticulture centres and nurseries, and officials say jackfruit will be Bangladesh's biggest fruit export within the next five years.

Highlighting its potential, Dr Mehedi Masud said: "If jackfruit can be produced 365 days a year, it will become established as a strong export fruit. In future, jackfruit and pineapple could play an important role in earning foreign exchange."

At Karwan Bazar, a buyer named Shahin said dragon fruit now sells for Tk 150 to Tk 200 a kg. "Children love dragon fruit. We have forgotten that it is a foreign fruit. We often eat dragon fruit and strawberries."

People involved in agriculture say that if climate-suited new fruit varieties are spread and storage and processing industries are developed, foreign fruit varieties could open new doors for the country's agriculture and strengthen Bangladesh's position in export markets.

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