Lotkon was once a wild fruit. It hung in clusters from trees that grew on hill slopes and in the forest, and nobody valued it much. Over time, demand for the sweet-and-sour fruit has grown strongly across the hill districts, and it is now in wide demand beyond the hill markets in districts on the plains as well.

The fruit known to local Bengalis as lotkon is called "pochimgul" in the Chakma language, "kyanaijusi" in Marma and "khuchmai" in Tripura. Lotkon starts to ripen in mid-June and reaches the market at the same time. It is a high-yielding crop: clusters of fruit hang from the base of the trunk and along every branch. Nutritious and sweet-and-sour, lotkon is popular with young and old alike.

Mangoes and lychees are grown commercially in the hills, but lotkon lags behind. In Matiranga, Ramgarh, Dighinala, Guimara, Panchhari and other upazilas of hilly Khagrachhari, it is grown without planning, on a small scale or by individual initiative. Golden clusters of lotkon hang from trees in homestead yards and on hill slopes.

Recently many people have begun dreaming of growing lotkon commercially in the hills. With the chance of higher profit for less labour and less capital, many are becoming interested. Enquiries show that lotkon, much in demand in local markets, is selling for Tk 100-120 a kg.

Rumel Marma, an educated young man who had been unemployed, has set up an attractive lotkon orchard of more than 700 trees with a few friends in the Jugalchhari mouza of Panchhari. The orchard, on leased land beside a stream, is striking to look at. Countless lotkon hang from every tree, from the base of the trunk to the branches.

Saying that the banks of streams and brooks are well suited to lotkon, the entrepreneur Rumel Marma said: "Lotkon mainly does well in cool places. This season I hope to sell more than Tk 12 lakh worth of lotkon."

Lotkon farmer Lili Khisa said: "Lotkon needs hardly any care. You get a good yield with little capital and little care. The yield has been good this year. Local wholesalers have already started buying. I will be able to sell the fruit of each tree for Tk 5,000 to 7,000."

Md Chan Mia of Nabinagar village in Matiranga has around 50 lotkon trees on the hill slope beside his house. Every tree is hung with clusters of golden fruit, and he dreams of earning a good sum from selling them.

Prabin Kumar Tripura, who came from Byangmara to Matiranga bazar to sell lotkon, said at least 10 trees around his house are bearing fruit. He dreams of earning a lakh taka from lotkon sales this year.

Panchhari upazila agriculture officer Md Nazmul Islam Majumder said: "Although lotkon is grown mostly in Narsingdi, Gazipur, Netrokona and Sylhet, the soil of the hill areas is very well suited to it. Because there is demand in the market, the area under cultivation is growing day by day."

Kishore Kumar Majumder, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Khagrachhari, said: "Lotkon is grown to a greater or lesser extent in almost every upazila of Khagrachhari, and the yield has been good. With plenty of trees and shade, the soil of the hill areas is very suitable for lotkon. Because they earn more with less capital and labour, farmers are becoming interested in growing it commercially."

Reported by Mujibur Rahman Bhuiya.

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