Visitors flock to explore rare and endangered fruits at Dhaka fair

Mangoes, jackfruits, lychees and blackberries may be familiar sights, but lesser-known fruits such as kawphal, dewa, gab, bilimbi, ata, yajna dumur and lukluki drew the most curiosity from visitors at this year's National Fruit Fair.

While many visitors heard the names for the first time, others found themselves reminiscing about childhood memories.

Such was the scene at the three-day National Fruit Fair, which began today (18 June) at the KIB Complex in Dhaka's Farmgate area, bringing together both popular and nearly forgotten indigenous fruits under one roof.

Visitors entering the fair were greeted by an impressive display of more than 100 local and exotic fruits.

Alongside familiar varieties of mango, jackfruit, lychee and blackberry were numerous fruits that remain largely unknown to urban consumers.

Zainal Abedin, who visited the fair with his family from Badda, told TBS, "I brought my children to the fruit fair because they have not seen many of these fruits growing up in the city. Even for us, it brings back memories of our childhood. It feels good to see them again."

The stall of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) attracted the largest crowds, as it showcased nearly 50 rare and endangered fruit species.

Fruits such as kawphal, karomcha, dewa, ashphal, gab, yajna dumur, chambul, ata, chalta, arbaroi, bilimbi, sharifa, satkara, teikor, defol, lukluki, baichi and munia captured visitors' attention.

Md Jamiyul Islam, horticulturist at the Rajalak Horticulture Centre in Savar and the officer in charge of the stall, said, "Both common and uncommon fruits have been displayed here. Most of these fruits were produced at horticulture centres across the country. Visitors have shown tremendous interest in learning about them."

According to agricultural officials, Bangladesh is home to around 130 species of underutilised fruits, of which nearly 70 grow naturally in different regions and are cultivated on a limited scale.

To preserve and promote these fruits, the DAE launched a three-year programme in 2020 with a budget of around Tk2.5 crore. As a result, several endangered fruit species have returned to cultivation.

Inaugurating the fair, Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Md Aminur Rashid said Bangladesh has witnessed a revolution in fruit production.

Fruits that once had to be imported are now being grown domestically, helping meet local demand and reduce import dependency, he said.

"Mangoes, pineapples and jackfruits are already being exported. Opportunities to export dragon fruit and several other fruits will open up very soon," he added.

Among the fair's notable attractions were value-added products made from jackfruit.

Entrepreneur Chumki from Gazipur said she now produces 22 different products from jackfruit, including Kashmiri pickles, chips and kebabs, which are receiving encouraging responses from online customers.

The king of fruits, mango, also remained a major attraction.

Visitors explored popular local varieties such as Langra, Amrapali, Nag Fazli, BARI-4, Haribhanga and Surjapuri, alongside imported and improved varieties including Thai Katimon, Honey View, Banana Mango, Miyazaki, Apple Mango and King of Chokapat.

The fair generated significant enthusiasm among visitors.

Nazmul Hossain, a ninth-grade student at South Point School, said, "You rarely get to see so many different fruits in one place. I only wish some of the fruits on display were available for purchase."

Rabeya Begum, who brought her daughter to the fair from Lalmatia, said, "We regularly buy fruits from the market, but I wanted my daughter to see the incredible diversity of fruits that exist in Bangladesh."

Md Abdur Rahim, director general of the Department of Agricultural Extension, said the fair aims to increase awareness of indigenous fruits among consumers.

He noted that mangoes, jackfruits, guavas and several other fruits are already being exported, and higher exports would benefit farmers through better returns.

This year's National Fruit Fair features 78 stalls and serves as a platform to showcase the country's potential in fruit cultivation, nutrition, processing industries, entrepreneurship and exports.

The event highlights how Bangladesh's fruit sector is evolving beyond production to create new opportunities for farmers, businesses and consumers alike.