The jackfruit is Bangladesh's national fruit, yet this fruit of national identity has still not won its true place in the country's economy. Although large quantities are produced every year, much of it is wasted for lack of marketing and storage. Farmers do not get fair prices, consumers go without the fruit outside the season, and the country loses a potential source of foreign exchange. With planned initiatives, the jackfruit could become one of Bangladesh's most important agro-based industries and export products.

Agriculture has long been one of the driving forces of Bangladesh's economy. Besides ensuring food security, it keeps the rural economy running and creates a vast field of employment. The emphasis now is on value addition and export-oriented industry alongside higher production, and against this background the jackfruit opens up new possibilities.

Jackfruit grows in almost every part of Bangladesh, with notable production in Gazipur, Narsingdi, Mymensingh, Tangail, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Chattogram and the hill districts. Farmers can grow it at relatively low cost and each tree bears fruit for many years, so there is ample scope for it to be seen as a profitable crop.

But while production has grown, the marketing system has not kept pace. Once the fruit starts to ripen it must be sold within a short time. With no adequate cold chain, storage or processing facilities, farmers are often forced to sell cheaply. When output is high, prices fall and farmers bear the loss.

Worldwide, demand for value-added farm products is rising fast, and processed goods are far more profitable than raw produce. Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia, for example, earn large amounts of foreign currency by processing their fruit for international markets. If Bangladesh can build a modern industry around the jackfruit, it would add a new dimension to the farm economy.

Jackfruit is now regarded as a "superfood" in many countries. It is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, calcium, magnesium, dietary fibre and various antioxidants, and is increasingly accepted by health-conscious consumers. With rising demand for plant-based food in Europe and North America in particular, green jackfruit has gained new importance.

In many countries green jackfruit is now used as a meat substitute, and its popularity among vegetarians and vegans has grown fast. Its fibrous texture feels much like meat once cooked, so restaurants and food businesses are using it. This global trend has created a big opportunity for Bangladesh.

Products made from jackfruit, including chips, jam, jelly, candy, frozen and dried jackfruit, jackfruit powder, juice and plant-based foods from green jackfruit, have become popular in Europe, North America, the Middle East and East Asia. With growing interest in healthy food, many see the jackfruit as an important food resource for the future. According to experts, the market for plant-based foods will expand further in the coming decade as people seek alternatives to animal foods out of concern for climate change, the environment and health. Green jackfruit is seen as an effective answer to this demand, and it is a rare opportunity for Bangladesh because the fruit is plentiful and cheap to grow.

The jackfruit's biggest advantage is that almost every part of it can be used. The flesh is tasty food, and the seeds are highly nutritious: flour, biscuits, snacks and other foods can be made from them. The rind and other residues can be used for animal feed and organic fertiliser, so a jackfruit-based industry produces very little waste.

If processing centres are set up, a new industrial revolution could begin in the rural economy. Small and medium enterprises in producing areas would create local jobs, and thousands of people could find new income in transport, storage, packaging, marketing and export.

At present a large share of the country's foreign exchange depends on the ready-made garment industry. Diversifying exports is vital for long-term economic stability, and farm-based exports, including jackfruit and jackfruit products, are a promising area for that diversification.

Products currently made on a small scale in various places, such as jackfruit chips, jam, jelly and candy, have not reached an industrial level. That needs modern technology, entrepreneur development, investment and government policy support. Entering international markets also requires top priority for quality control, with international standards followed at every stage of production, harvesting, storage, processing and packaging. Without modern laboratories, food safety certification and international standards, competing in world markets will be difficult.

The writer sets out a series of steps:

• A clear national policy, coordinating agriculture, industry, commerce and exports under a long-term plan, possibly with a separate action plan for developing and marketing the national fruit.
• Modern collection and processing centres in jackfruit-producing districts, so farmers can supply factories directly, reducing the influence of middlemen and getting fair prices.
• Better cold storage and cold-chain infrastructure, since quality suffers without quick storage after harvest; modern preservation can extend shelf life and keep the fruit fit for export.
• Research by the country's agricultural research institutes on improved varieties, disease control, better fruit quality and new processed products, with universities and research bodies working alongside entrepreneurs.
• Easy-term loans, tax rebates and investment support for entrepreneurs; many young people are interested in agro-industry but lack capital and technical help.
• International branding of jackfruit products under a distinct "Bangladeshi Jackfruit" brand, as Thailand has done with its fruit, promoted through international food fairs, trade shows and diplomatic missions.
• Building on demand among Bangladeshi and South Asian communities abroad in the Middle East, Europe, North America and Asia.

The government and private entrepreneurs must both come forward, the writer argues, since a jackfruit industry cannot be built without joint efforts by research institutes, universities, export promotion bodies and industry, and banks and financial institutions must offer easy-term loans to encourage new investors.

Agriculture today is no longer seen only as food production but as an important source of industry, trade, employment and export earnings, and the countries that take value-added farm products to world markets reap its real benefits. The jackfruit, the writer says, could be an effective means for Bangladesh to reach its goals of sustainable development, export diversification and a larger food-processing industry, and its status as the national fruit should not be confined to textbooks and formal declarations.

With world demand for healthy and plant-based food rising fast, this is a golden opportunity. The jackfruit that sells cheaply in village markets today could, with the right planning and investment, bring the country export earnings worth many millions of dollars. Jackfruit is not just a fruit but could be a new horizon for rural development, industrialisation, employment and foreign exchange, and it is time to treat it as a strategic economic resource rather than only a seasonal fruit. Through far-sighted government steps, private investment and public participation, the writer concludes, effective jackfruit processing and export initiatives should be taken up and carried out quickly.

The writer is a teacher, founding president of the Bangladesh Government Secondary Teachers' Association (Agriculture), central committee, and joint secretary general of Nirapad Sarak Chai (NISCHA), central committee.

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