In this country, this dusty, cloudy and sun-drenched period of summer is known as fruit season. Nature comes alive with the scent of mangoes and jackfruits hanging from trees, alongside lychees, Java plums and pineapples.
Yet a different picture emerges at Badamtoli, one of the Dhaka’s main wholesale fruit markets, where imported fruits continue to dominate a large share of trade.
The market remains bustling with apples, oranges, grapes, pears and mandarins imported from China, Thailand, South Africa, Egypt, Vietnam and India.
Badamtoli rarely sleeps. Business begins before dawn as cartons of fruit are unloaded from trucks, while hundreds of boxes are being prepared for shipment to different districts across the country. Although mangoes, jackfruits, lychees and pineapples are available in the market, their volumes are comparatively lower.
Traders say that while local fruits occupy a special place in consumers’ hearts, market realities are increasingly favouring imported produce. Demand for apples, oranges and grapes now exists throughout the year, making imported fruits a major component of wholesale trade.
Wholesale prices of mangoes currently range between Tk60 and Tk120 per kilogram, depending on the variety. Jackfruits are selling for between Tk150 and Tk800 each, depending on size and quality, while some larger and improved varieties are fetching more than Tk1,000.
Pineapples are priced between Tk40 and Tk80 apiece, while lychees are selling for Tk300 to Tk800 per hundred.
By contrast, imported apples are selling for Tk3,000 to Tk5,000 per carton, oranges for Tk4,000 to Tk6,000, and grapes for Tk3,500 to Tk6,000 per carton.
In retail markets, imported apples are selling for Tk300 to Tk450 per kilogram, oranges for Tk250 to Tk400, and grapes for Tk350 to Tk600. In many cases, these prices are two to three times higher than those of local fruits.
According to traders, the market for imported fruits remains stable despite their higher prices because they can be stored for longer periods and are available throughout the year.
Badamtoli wholesaler Md Abdul Karim said “Mangoes or jackfruits have to be sold quickly. Business risks are also higher because there is limited opportunity for storage. Apples and oranges, on the other hand, arrive through cold-chain systems and can be stored for a long time.”
Fruit importer Md Jahangir Alam said “The market for imported fruits is expanding every year. Demand for apples, oranges, grapes and pears has increased among middle-income families.”
Md Rafiqul Islam, a trader who came from Cumilla to purchase fruit, said “Sales of apples and oranges are good in district markets. That is why we have to take these fruits regularly.”
He said that although there is demand for mangoes and jackfruits, it remains seasonal.
Traders said several hundred tonnes of fruit are supplied every day from Badamtoli to Dhaka and various other parts of the country. Businesses from Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Faridpur, Barishal, Noakhali, Cumilla and Chattogram also collect fruit from the market.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension said commercial cultivation of foreign fruits such as dragon fruit, malta, strawberry, avocado, rambutan and persimmon is now taking place in Bangladesh. However, imports have not declined significantly.
Agricultural economist Mohammad Amirul Islam said: “The full potential of local fruits cannot be utilised because of limitations in cold storage, processing and marketing systems.”
In his view, “The storage and marketing systems for local fruits must be improved. Farmers will then receive fair prices. Alongside the government, the general public must also become more aware to make this possible.”
