Jackfruit yield high, prices low in Lalmonirhat

In spite of the bumper production of jackfruit, farmers are disappointed because this seasonal delicious fruit is being sold at low prices in the markets of the district.

The soil and climate of the district are favourable for cultivating jackfruit, and there are about eight lakh jackfruit trees in the district. Each tree bears 30 to 120 jackfruits every year,

sources in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said.

Grower Taherul Islam, 55, of Fulgachh village under Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, said jackfruit is being sold at Tk 10 to Tk 30 per piece, though it cost Tk 20 to Tk 50 per piece in the local markets last year. "We got bumper production this year, but low prices make us unhappy," he said, adding that he gets 750-800 jackfruits from 10 trees every year.

"I sell 500-600 jackfruits  from 15 trees every year. Earning from jackfruits this year is less than that of last year," said grower Shafirul Islam, 50  of Mahendranagar village in the upazila. "We never use chemical fertiliser or pesticide for farming jackfruit," he added.

Jackfruit grower Altafur Rahman, 48, of Bhadai village under Aditmari upazila, said jackfruit farming is profitable for them as they get profit from selling jackfruit and its seeds in the local markets, and the wood of the jackfruit tree is also much valued. "We get 300 grams to 1 kg of seeds from each jackfruit. One kg of seeds costs Tk 20 to Tk 25 in the local markets," he added.

DAE officials said the jackfruit growers of the district do not use any fertiliser in their orchards. They do not even know the modern method of cultivating jackfruit trees, and are mainly dependent on nature for production of jackfruit.

Safayet Hossain, deputy director of DAE in Lalmonirhat, said the age of jackfruit trees is also a vital factor in production, as the oldest jackfruit trees are 20 to 50 years old, whereas the minimum yield from a tree comes when it is between 10 and 14 years old. 

Dr Ahsan Ali Babu, civil surgeon of Lalmonirhat, said a ripe jackfruit is delicious and rich in vitamins. One jackfruit contains 1.8 mg of protein, 0.30 mg of fat, 26.1 mg of calcium, 1.07 mg of iron, 0.11 mg of vitamin B-1, 0.15 mg of vitamin B-2, 21.04 mg of vitamin E. It must be consumed within seven days of its plucking, he added.

Fruit trader Noor Hossain at BDR Hat market in Lalmonirhat town said jackfruit prices have  fallen this year due to huge supply. People do not want to eat jackfruit due to the heatwave, he said, adding that traders send the fruit to the capital and other parts of the country.