Habibur Rahman Khan of Manirampur upazila in Jashore has drawn attention with an orchard of Thailand's year-round jackfruit. Rows of jackfruit on small trees seem to tell a story of new possibilities, and the orchard owner is happy that the tasty, gum-free fruit has started to yield. The agriculture department says that if this jackfruit can be spread commercially, it will play an important role in food and nutrition.

It is learnt that a year and a half ago Habibur Rahman Khan, of Mashmimnagar village in the upazila, brought 150 grafts of the year-round jackfruit variety from Thailand through the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Dhaka. After overcoming various obstacles, the saplings were brought in with the permission of the Ministry of Agriculture and the DAE's horticulture wing, and were then planted on one acre of land in the area.

At the orchard, the trees are slender and propped up with bamboo poles. Jackfruit hang from the base of each tree up to its thin upper branches, from bottom to top, and the branches bend under their weight. The owners have been forced to cut some before they mature.

Hafizur Rahman, who looks after the trees, said the land was prepared with vermicompost and the saplings planted 18 months ago, in the Bengali month of Bhadra. Young fruit began to appear two months after planting, but they were removed because the trees were small.

This year each tree has borne 20-30 jackfruit, he said. The young fruit on small trees has been removed, and fruit has been kept on the somewhat bigger trees. When the thin branches were about to break under the weight, 500 jackfruit were sold before maturing, as green jackfruit (echor), at Tk 40 a kg. Many are still hanging.

Farmer Habibur Rahman Khan said: "After overcoming many obstacles, 150 saplings were brought into the country with the agriculture department's permission. They were kept in quarantine at the DAE for a week to make them disease-free. Then I planted them on one acre."

He said: "This jackfruit gives off its fragrance about a week before it ripens. The gum-free, juicy pods are tasty and sweet. Next year I will produce and market grafts. I will pack the jackfruit pods and send them to shopping malls around the country. I also want to spread the jackfruit grafts across the country from next year."

Md Hasanuzzaman, sub-assistant agriculture officer for Mashmimnagar union in Manirampur, said: "There is scope to grow this jackfruit commercially. The younger generation does not want to eat jackfruit because of the gum. As this one has none, everyone will be able to eat it, which will help meet nutritional needs."

He said: "This year-round jackfruit should flower three or four times a year. As only one season has passed, we have not yet seen that. But if its cultivation can be spread commercially, it will be profitable. I keep regular track of the orchard and give advice as well."

Sharmin Shahanaj, additional agriculture officer of Manirampur upazila, said: "The sub-assistant agriculture officers of the area regularly look after the orchard and keep informed, and the agriculture department also gives the necessary advice."

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