Foreign fruits on Bangladeshi soil! The Jashore, Chuadanga and Jhenaidah region has long been known for crop diversity, and its high-value fruits, vegetables and horticultural crops have opened new possibilities in farming.

In Manikpur village of Jibannagar upazila in Chuadanga, entrepreneur Sajal Ahmed has built an unusual fruit orchard. There he researches fruit trees collected from home and abroad, and his main aim is to find out how well each fruit can be produced in Bangladesh's soil and climate.

The orchard holds about 500 fruit varieties, including malta, orange and jackfruit. In the winter sun, the garden full of orange-coloured fruit is a striking sight. Behind the venture lies commercial thinking, but also a dream of reducing import dependence and enriching domestic fruit growing.

New fruit crops carry real risks. From his own experience, Sajal Ahmed points out that without market management, production knowledge and alternative plans, a large investment can lead to losses.

The report is a reminder that success with high-value fruit requires research, planning, modern growing methods and coordinated action at the national level, and that informed farmers and well-planned investment can move the sector forward.

Source: Shykh Seraj, Hridoye Mati O Manush. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.