locally grown exotic fruits

The mention of the popular juicy fruit 'blackberry' creates a view of 'Kalo Jaam' in the minds of the Bengalees. In fact, the original blackberry is not a Bangladeshi fruit. The fruit which we love to call blackberry in this country is actually blue berries. They're grown in medium to large trees in Bangladesh and some other countries in the Asian sub-continent. Blackberries are grown in the small trees of bushes. Indigenous to Europe, the Pacific, North America and many other regions, they grow in clusters and are tiny in size. Hitherto unknown to this country, blackberries have lately begun to be cultivated in Bangladesh. Small groups of local enthusiasts have embarked on growing this fruit commercially. According to a recent newspaper report, intrepid farmers in a southwestern district have put in their best of efforts to grow this fruit. Their tireless efforts did not go in vain. Arrays of blackberry-bearing trees now make up a wonderful spectacle in their orchards.

Gardens of foreign or exotic fruits have for quite some time become a common view in many parts of the country. The first breakthrough cultivation was seen in the greater Sylhet in the early 1980s. It began with grapes. Eventually it spread to some other far-flung areas. The list of major overseas fruits later included apples, pears, strawberries, malta, apricot, beet, etc. The cultivation of newer fruits has continued unabated.

Owing to its fertile soil and its varied geophysical nature, Bangladesh has long seen the arrival of lots of fruit genera from different parts of the world. The land's earliest and the purely native varieties comprise chiefly mangoes, jackfruits, blue berries, oranges and wild pineapples. With the entry of martial races and travellers from distant territories and their eventual settlement in the land, many alien fruit seeds entered Bangladesh. Today few people seem to be aware of the fact that guavas, bananas, papayas, litchis, watermelons and a number of other fruits are not native to this country. According to agronomical experts, many early fruits of Bengal have long been extinct. However, fruits from foreign territories have filled in the lost fruits' gap.

Except mangoes, few of the fruits of the country carry remarkable export potential, at least for now. On the other hand, the latest trend of growing exotic fruits indiscriminately allegedly poses threat to the normal growth of the local varieties. Some are said to carry ingredients hostile to the country's soil. Instances of precaution are there in many countries. These countries strictly prohibit the entry of alien fruits and saplings through their borders. Thanks to its indifference to this hazard, which may jeopardise its overall crop and fruit yields, Bangladesh might one day find only itself to blame --- for extinction of its traditional fruits. In order to avert such a situation, effective measures ought to be in place.

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[The article first apperad in FE print version on July 3, 2017]