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Bumper yield of jackfruit in Ishwardi, farmers getting fair price


Published : 24 Jun 2022 07:42 PM

After litchi and berry, another nutritious, delicious fruit jackfruit business has flourished in the rural markets of Ishwardi Upazila in Pabna district. In particular, the Joynagar Board House adjacent to Ishwardi-Kushtia Road in Salimpur Union of the upazila has become a hotbed of wholesale jackfruit buyers and sellers. Jackfruit is being bought and sold every day from morning till evening.

Wholesalers from different parts of the country including Dhaka, Khulna, Mongla, Jashore, Barisal, Patuakhali, Galachipa, Chattogram, Sylhet, Kuakata come to this Jayanagar Board House to buy jackfruits. Wholesalers are buying hundreds of jackfruits and loading them on trucks and taking them to their respective areas for sale. Apart from this board house, a lot of jackfruits are being bought and sold every day in the markets of Aotapara, Shimultala, Barichara and Dashuria of the Upazila.

According to the Ishwardi Upazila Agriculture Officer's Office, there are lots of jackfruit trees in seven unions of the Upazila including the municipal area. Some farmers also have jackfruit orchards. The number of jackfruit trees in Ishwardi is increasing every year. Jackfruit cultivation is highest in Sahapur and Salimpur unions of the Upazila. Jackfruit has been planted in 156 hectares of land in the Upazila this year with land in gardens and backyard areas.

It is known on the spot that Ishwardi's jackfruit is appreciated all over the country. The jackfruit in the area is sweet and delicious. The largest wholesale of jackfruits produced here is Joynagar Board House in Chhalimpur Union of Bazar Upazila. Jackfruits grown in different parts of the Upazila are brought for sale in the wide open space of this board house. 

Outside the Upazila, farmers from Pabna, Atgharia's Tebunia and Kushtia's Bheramara also come to the board house to sell jackfruit. Apart from board houses, jackfruits are bought and sold at Aotapara Hat, Barichara, Dashuria and Muladuli in Sahapur of the upazila. There are several warehouses in the Joynagar Board House area for wholesalers from different parts of the country to buy jackfruits. Jackfruits are brought here in trucks, vans, pick-ups, rickshaws, CNG-powered three wheelers in the huge open space on the west side of the road. Jackfruits are bought and stored in the temporary yard for the wholesalers. Jackfruit is bought and sold here from morning to night for a month. Farmers and retailers have brought jackfruits in small, medium to large vans to the board house. Again someone brought it by Nachimune. 

A farmer named Joynal Pramanik of Sahapur brought 16 jackfruits of small and big size in a van and sold them to the storekeeper for 1100 Tk. Mojibar Rahman, a fruit trader from Khulna, bought 25 jackfruits in small and large sizes. On an average, the price of 25 jackfruits is 1375 Tk at 55 Tk each. He said he buys more than 2,000 jackfruits a day from here. Later he said he would take it to Khulna and sell it at a higher price. He said that the price of jackfruit is high in Khulna and if he buys and sells jackfruit from here, his profit is good.

Speaking to storekeeper Abul Ali, it is learned that this board house in Joynagar has been used for selling seasonal jackfruits for about 20 years. Thousands of jackfruits are sold every day during the jackfruit season. From mid-June to mid-July, the board house is the center of the jackfruit business for a month. Retailers and warehouse keepers arrange raw-ripe jackfruits all over the place for about one kilometer. Each jackfruit is sold for 50 to 100 Tk depending on the size. From here, 2 to 3 trucks of jackfruit are being bought by wholesalers every day and taken to other parts of the country for sale.

Ishwardi Upazila Additional Agriculture Officer Mahmuda Motmainna said Ishwardi soil is suitable for fast growing jackfruit trees and jackfruit production. Jackfruit is grown in 157 hectares of land in Ishwardi with the land of different gardens in the municipal area and seven unions of the upazila. He said the target has been set to produce 3,050 metric tonnes of jackfruit this time. He added that Ishwardi's jackfruit is very tasty compared to other parts of the country. The farmers here make a profit by selling jackfruit.