Jackfruit farming in Jhenaidah is not expanding like other fruits as the farmers are showing least interest to cultivate the same. Lack of knowledge about the potential of the national fruit and its limited market is mainly liable for the situation. The yield of the fruit was not also up to the mark in the current season, said the farmers and officials of local Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
A source related to the office of the deputy director (DD) of the department of agriculture extension (DAE) in Jhenaidah, the farmers in Jhenaidah Sadar, Kaliganj, Kotchandpur, Moheshpur, Shailkupa and Harinakundu had produced 32,770 tons of jackfruit on 735 hectares of land last season. The area of farming could not be exceeded this season. Rather the yield of the fruit was decreased during the current season.
Some of the farmers at Jalalpur in bordering Moheshpur and Baroipara village of Shailkupa upazila when contacted said the demand of the fruit is not much in the market like mango, litchi, banana and some other juicy fruits. As a result most of the farmers do not nurse the trees as it required. Most of the orchards and individual plants grow normally without major nursing and care. The farmers mean as the plants do not benefit the farmers, it should not be cared. They said the number of bearing in the area had reduced to 70 percent than the last season. Further, the size was not also optimum this season.
As a result, they cannot reap optimum price from the fruit every year. Considering the situation for process, the farmers do not show eagerness for nursing the fruit bearing plants like others.
They said they do not fell the jackfruit plants considering its timber value when they receive maximum price of the timber. Fruit is not considered major here. As the demand of the fruit is least in the local markets, many farmers use the fruit as fodder for their cattle heads during the season. Some of the poor people purchase the ripen fruits for oral consumption which is no considerable as fruits, they said.
DAE sources said the national fruit jackfruit contains high protein, potassium and vitamin B which are most important than in-taking rice, wheat or other cereal crops or fruits. Sugar and vitamin in the jackfruit does not increase fat, while it helps reduce night blindness, high pressure in blood and heart attack.
Deputy Director of DAE Asgar Ali when contacted said ripen jackfruit helps the pregnant mothers to keep herself and the baby she has been rearing, well increasing the breast milk. Further, the abandoned portion is widely consumed by the cattle heads as fodder that helps meet the fodder demand by the animals much way.
Deputy Director said jackfruit or any other fruit is an alternative-year crop which cannot ensure optimum yield every year. Further, the drought had hampered the normal growth of the fruit in the season which will decrease the size and yield.
He said as the common people are not aware enough about the nutrition of our national fruit, they have been conducting awareness among the farmers so that they can transplant more and more jackfruit saplings.
