A local company has recently made a shipment of Lukluki (coffee plum) for the first time which, experts believe, will help diversify the country's export basket.
The traditional fruit Lukluki, which is also called as Indian coffee plum in English, grows all year round but best quality fruit could be produced in the July-August period.
Sohan Enterprise, an agro product exporter company, made the first consignment of the fruit to the United Kingdom (UK) last week.
Shariful Alam Shaurav, proprietor of the company, told the FE that they started exporting the fruit with a shipment of 0.5 tonnes to UK-based SMA Imports and Wholesales Ltd.
"You can think the amount is negligible, but we are seeing it as a great potential," he added.
He said popularity of alien tropical fruit has been increasing gradually in Europe and North America for having its medicinal value.
India, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam have grabbed the market of 'exotic' fruit worth approximately $ 12.0 billion in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, the USA and Canada.
"We have been trying to send unpopular produce like Lukluki, Dewfol (monkey fruit), Gab (velvet apple), Koromcha (Carissa carandas) and various kinds of clocasia crops for last five years," Mr Shaurav said.
These produce are strategically easier to export as all are organic products and need to meet less quarantine requirements, he added.
Apart from its mouth watering taste, he said, lukluki has medicinal value which is attracting buyers.
Local alien fruits can grab mainstream chain shops in EU and US apart from the ethnic markets if they get policy support, he said.
General secretary of Bangladesh Agro-processors' Association Masoodur Rahman told the FE that exporters also need to have patience to make shipment of non-traditional items apart from maintaining the quality of products.
The exporters will have to work directly with the farmers, avoiding middlemen, in order to get quality products through contract growing.
The government needs to promote Lukluki tree plantation by providing quality plants to the farmers to raise export of the fruit.
Prof M A Rahim, director of state-run Hortex Foundation, which promotes export of agro produces, said the government is working hard to ensure good agricultural practice (GAP), considering the potentials of Bangladeshi agro products in overseas markets.
As part of the measure, the Hortex Foundation is encouraging farmers to promote natural cultivation methodology by maintaining all phytosanitary requirements, he added.
He said the government has put more emphasis on exploring markets for the country's potential agro products in the globe.
According to the horticulture wing of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), the country produces 8,000 tonnes of fruits annually which are usually popular in rural areas.
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