TANGAIL, Sept 14: Pineapple growers in the district are happy with the juicy fruit's satisfactory production and prices this season. The consumers, however, expressed their expectation of getting back the glory of the locally produced pineapple, popularly known as "Honey of Modhupur".
Sources in the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Tangail said, "Pineapples were cultivated on 7,186 hectares of land with a production target of 266,768 tonnes in the district this year".
The growers expressed their satisfaction with the yield and current market prices this year.
At present, one large-size pineapple is being sold at Tk 50 to Tk 70 and small one at Tk 25 to Tk 35.
Pineapples grow mostly in Modhupur and Ghatail upazilas of the district. The weather condition and soil of the area are very favourable for pineapple cultivation, officials of DAE in Tangail said.
The pineapple produced in Modhupur is tasty and famous all over the country. It is also called "Honey of Modhupur".
However, the locally-grown pineapple has been losing its reputation for the last 12 to 15 years due to some unscrupulous growers.
They use excessive chemicals for ripening the fruit in short time and giving its colour attractive for making a quick buck.
Some dishonest growers also use liquid urea fertiliser for making the pineapples larger which is harmful to human health, sources said.
The chemically-treated pineapples also taste less than the natural ones, they added. Local DAE officials said, "We have been motivating the local pineapple growers for not using excessive amount of chemicals on the fruits".
Md Nurul Islam, an agriculture officer of DAE in Modhupur, said, "Using proper quantity of chemicals is not so harmful to human".
Shariful Islam, a sub-assistant agriculture officer of DAE in Tangail, said, "Local growers have got good yield of the pineapples this year due to favourable weather condition. They are also very happy with fair prices of their produces".
