After mangoes farmers have started exporting guava from char (riverbed) areas in Bagha Upazila in Rajshahi district to Italy creating hope of furthermore expansion of the cash crop in the region enormously.
After packaging the first consignment of guava weighing a half metric tonnes was sent to Italy through Adab International, an exporting entity, on Tuesday.
Shafiqul Islam, Owner of Sadi Enterprize at Pakuria village under the same upazila, said their guavas will be exported through the central Packaging House of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Dhaka.
"We have sent a limited amount of guava in the first shipment and are contacting different other exporting organizations for a large volume of export," he added.
Entrepreneur Islam said they have cultivated guava on 50 bigha of land at his village. Once upon a time, huge lands of his village remained barren. But at present, mango, jujube, and guava are being cultivated and produced on the lands in a contract farming system.
Farmers are also being imparted training besides providing them with other requisite support on behalf of the local DAE office. There is also a bright prospect of exporting jujube from the upazila.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Shafiullah Sultan said their farmers exported mangoes to many foreign countries through contract farming last year. Similarly, they have started exporting guavas.In the last season, 30 tonnes of mangoes were exported to different Europe and Middle East countries from Bagha Upazila.