With no rain at the start of the season, guava flowers dropped and the yield has been low. For lack of rain, many guavas also fell before they ripened. Traders as well as farmers now fear losses from the crop failure, and disappointment is written on their faces.

Guavas are grown in 55 villages of Jhalakathi, Banaripara and Swarupkathi upazilas. For thousands of people in the area, guava is a source of livelihood and economic comfort, and in the full monsoon months of Asharh and Shrabon the rivers and canals of these areas are crowded with guavas. The flowers came late this year, and because it did not rain, many of them dropped. Even at the end of Asharh, the guavas have not matured.

It will take another 15 days for the fruit to be ready for sale. Because the yield does not match the money and labour spent, growers fear a loss of Tk 3 crore.

Visits to Bhimruli, Shatadashakathi, Khajuria, Dumuria, Kapurakathi and Jagadishpur showed that although guava is grown here and there across the division, commercial cultivation is centred on Banaripara in Barishal district, Jhalakathi Sadar and Swarupkathi in Pirojpur district. Guava is grown on 937 hectares in 16 villages of Banaripara, 350 hectares in 13 villages of Jhalakathi and 645 hectares in 26 villages of Swarupkathi.

Local farmers say guava was grown sporadically more than 200 years ago, but commercial cultivation began in 1940 and has been growing steadily. In 2022, commercial guava was grown on at least 1,932 hectares, producing about 20,000 tonnes. This year, with the lower yield, farmers doubt whether even 10,000 tonnes will be produced.

Farmer Pankaj Baral said that in Magh and Falgun the base of the trees had to be cleared and fertiliser applied, then covered with mud, costing more than Tk 300 per tree on average. "Much of the flowering dropped this year because there was no rain. Forget profit, I am worried whether I will even recover my costs." Voicing anger, he said the government gives farmers a lot, but as a poor, marginal farmer busy with farming all day and unable to approach anyone, he received no fertiliser or seed.

Farmer Debabrata Haldar Bitu said guava is their only source of seasonal income and good yields bring them prosperity. Crores of taka change hands each year at the floating market on the water, and temporary stalls serving wholesalers, tourists and visitors make money. But the low yield will hurt everything, including the arrival of wholesalers. He said flowers start in Baishakh and Jyoishtho, but guavas do not mature until the rain begins. Good land yields 12–14 tonnes per hectare, but this year flowers dropped in the dry Jyoishtho weather and the yield is far lower.

Another farmer, Bipul Chakraborty, said three generations of his family work in the guava orchards and the income from this season keeps the household going all year. "With this year's yield, it will be hard to run the household even for three months. Only the Creator knows how we will manage the rest of the time."

Tourism businessman Nishith Haldar said thousands of domestic and foreign tourists come for the guava season, once only by water and now also by road thanks to the Padma Bridge, and numbers have grown since last year. Because visitors entering orchards caused damage, they had arranged organised orchard tours. "But with this year's yield, I do not think many tourists will come, because visitors buy some guavas when they leave. Everyone here will face losses."

Guava farmer and former union parishad chairman Bhaben Haldar told Jagonews that normal rainfall is the most favourable condition for crops. Although the trees were properly tended, most of the flowers dropped for lack of rain, and covering costs will be difficult with the fruit now on the trees. "I estimate that guava farmers will lose more than Tk 3 crore in all this year."

Md Monirul Islam, deputy director of the DAE in Jhalakathi, told Jagonews that guava is grown commercially on 350 hectares in 13 villages of Jhalakathi Sadar upazila, and that in the season it is a source of livelihood and economic comfort for thousands of local people. "Some of the flowers have dropped because there was no rainfall," he said.

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