Jaldhupi, a variety of pineapple, cultivated on 20 acres of unused land in Sylhet's Golapganj upazila by a local family has become very lucrative for them.
Each pair of the fruit is initially being sold at Tk100-120, and the growers have estimated to sell over 110,000 pieces of the fruit this season.
"We brought around 216,000 pineapple plants from Sreemangal and planted it in the abandoned hillock area near our home. A target was to grow the fruit without using chemicals," said Kawsar Raja, one of the growers.
Kawser said he was inspired to take an initiative of growing the fruit after he came across a similar garden during his visit to Sreemangal.
Kawsar's family is related to former union council chairman late Matin Chan Mia. Fifty of his family members are living abroad and others living in the country participated in cultivation of the pineapples since 2019. Kawser suggested growing the fruit to those who have access to unusable land on hillocks, as it has become quite a boon for them.
The garden attracted many people including Golapganj police station OC Mizanur Rahman and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mamunur Rahman, both of whom went there on Sunday, to get a glimpse of the site.
Khairul Amin, an agriculture officer of Golapganj upazila, said he had heard about the success of the private initiative but had not yet managed an opportunity to pay a visit. "I know of similar gardens in Duttrail and Kanishail areas under Dhakadakshin union of the upazila.”
Salauddin, deputy director of Sylhet district Department of Agricultural Extension, said: "Pineapple is being cultivated on a total of 190 hectares of land in a few upazilas of Sylhet. I know that the fruit is being cultivated on only 20 hectares (49.4 acres) in Golapganj."
The name ‘Jaldhupi’ originated from Jaldhup village of Sylhet's Beanibazar upazila, where the variety is being grown on the hillocks or on the yards. Although the variety is being grown mostly in Sreemangal, it is becoming increasingly popular in Sylhet.