The eagerness with which the people of Bangladesh buy mangoes or jackfruit is clearly seen also in their purchase of fruits like strawberries, rambutan or dragon fruit, grown in Bangladesh. It's a new phenomenon. The names of the latter fruits were strange to the general city-dwelling people even 15 years ago. Now they are commonplace, as are fruits like Malta oranges, grapes etc. The fruits are now largely cultivated in Bangladesh.
Growing foreign crops began in the country in the recent times with vegetables. It was followed by flowers and fruits, after a hiatus. Coming to vegetables, broccoli, capsicum, lemon grass and other products are now household items. They are abundantly available in the kitchen markets. The first batch of locally cultivated fruits was dominated by strawberries.
Recently, hundreds of young enterprising farmers engaged in the production of various other fruits, after seeing the commercial prospects. Apart from all kinds of support extended by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the farmers now receive from it advice regarding production practices. Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh, also came forward to enrich the farmers' expertise. With a country's fruit yields limited to age-old mangoes, litchis, jackfruit, pineapples, bananas, papayas etc, the addition of foreign fruits has impressively expanded its fruit basket overnight.
