At least 78 species of fruit are now grown in the country, but mango, banana and jackfruit account for nearly half of all fruit produced. Watermelon, papaya, guava, lychee, pineapple, jujube (boroi) and dragon fruit have all increased in recent years, yet none has overtaken these three.

Analysis of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) data shows that the top ten fruits, including mango and watermelon, make up about 85 per cent of total production, and these ten species are grown on 79 per cent of the country's fruit area.

Fifty-four per cent of the country's annual fruit output comes in the four months of the season (May to August). The remaining eight months, September to April, supply only 46 per cent.

According to the data, the country now produces 1 crore 51 lakh tonnes of fruit a year. Of this, mango accounts for 27 lakh tonnes, banana 22 lakh tonnes and jackfruit 18 lakh tonnes. Watermelon output is about 12 lakh tonnes, and papaya and guava 6 lakh tonnes each. Pineapple, lychee and jujube are produced at two to three lakh tonnes each, and dragon fruit is close to one lakh tonnes.

Asked why only a few fruits dominate production, Dr Md Mosiur Rahman, chief scientific officer of the Fruit Division of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), told Jagonews24: "Many non-traditional fruits in the country do not fetch a commercial price, which is why farmers are not interested in growing them. There are also limitations in developing varieties of non-traditional fruit, and commercial cultivation is low. Demand for some fruits is limited too; people do not want to pay very high prices for them."

Geography also holds back many fruits, he said. "A great deal of fruit reaches the market at around the same time. People then have less interest in eating other fruit, and waste is higher. Besides, there is a large market for foreign fruit, which many people accept as 'elite fruit' even though it costs more than local fruit."

"There should be a big plan for growing all kinds of fruit so that different local fruits are available all year round. Variety development and more research are needed," the scientist said.

The data show that among the top three, mango and banana output is rising steadily, and mango is now the most widely and commercially grown fruit.

According to the DAE, this year (2026) the target is 27 lakh 95 thousand tonnes of mango from two lakh seven thousand hectares. Last year 26 lakh 62 thousand tonnes were produced on two lakh 5 thousand hectares. Mango is currently grown commercially on a large scale in 14 districts.

Arifur Rahman, director of the DAE's export-oriented mango production project, told Jagonews24: "Of all fruits, mango has the highest demand and commercial value. Mango exports are also going well now, which is why interest in growing it is rising."

Over the past decade banana production has risen from 15 lakh tonnes to 25 lakh tonnes.

Over the same period, people have shown reluctance to eat jackfruit, which is why it has still not been grown commercially. In a decade and more, output of jackfruit and coconut among the major fruits has fallen. In the 2012-13 fiscal year, 32 lakh 12 thousand tonnes of jackfruit were produced, the highest ever; output has now fallen to 18 lakh 30 thousand tonnes. The area under jackfruit has shrunk from 82,691 hectares to 58,700 hectares.

People in the sector say that although the terrain favours abundant jackfruit in Bangladesh, the country lags badly in producing and exporting jackfruit and jackfruit products. Because its uses have not diversified, it does not hold its price, and so there is no commercial production.

Md Moinul Haque, a horticulturist at the DAE, told Jagonews24: "Although production of other fruit has risen, people are reluctant to eat jackfruit. That is why it has not been grown commercially like mango and lychee, and why production is falling."

Analysis of the data shows that output of watermelon, lychee, jujube, papaya, guava and pineapple has risen steadily. Beyond the main local fruits, production of foreign fruits such as dragon fruit, strawberry and malta is also growing, and these have become commercial fruits in Bangladesh.

The DAE's Nutrition Improvement through Year-round Fruit Production project played a major role in raising fruit output. It ended last year.

Abdul Halim, the last project director of that project, said a new project modelled on it is being planned. "Efforts are under way to take up a new project again to raise production of various fruits and for commercial production of non-traditional fruit," he said.

"Fruit farming, trade and exports are creating a lot of jobs for young people. The scope of commercial fruit activity is widening, and private entrepreneurs are increasingly turning to processing. The government is working on further policy support to raise output in this sector and encourage entrepreneurs," he said.

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