Hog plum is now in season across the hills of Rangamati, with trees laden with the popular sweet-and-sour fruit in homesteads, orchards and along roadsides.
For many Indigenous and Bengali communities, hog plum is more than a seasonal fruit. It has become an important source of income, particularly for women who collect the fruit and sell it in local markets.
The reddish soil and humid climate of Rangamati are considered suitable for hog plum cultivation. Local varieties are mainly grown in the district and require relatively little care. The trees can grow naturally around homes, along roads and on fallow land.
The fruiting season generally peaks during the Bengali months of Bhadra and Ashwin. Hog plum is green when unripe and turns light yellow as it matures.
The fruit is widely consumed across the district. Many people eat raw hog plum with salt and chilli, while ripe fruit is used to make pickles, chutney, juice and preserves.
Hog plum is currently being sold at Reserve Bazar and Banarupa Bazar in Rangamati town, as well as in markets across different upazilas. Retail prices currently range between Tk60 and Tk80 per kilogram.
Indigenous women vendors are bringing hog plum to town in baskets and selling it, helping supplement their household incomes.
Janki Rakhine, a hog plum vendor, said sales remain good during the season.
“Hoc plum sells well during the season. If government support and market access are increased, women in the hills will benefit even more,” she said.
Another vendor, Md Selim, said demand for the fruit is strong in local markets.
“Many customers buy both raw and ripe hog plum every day,” he said.
According to the Rangamati Agriculture Department, hog plum is cultivated on around 24 hectares of land in the district, with annual production estimated at approximately 240 tonnes. The potential market value of the production is around Tk60 lakh.
Rangamati Agriculture Officer Md Moniruzzaman said the agriculture department is assisting farmers by providing improved varieties of seedlings and necessary agricultural advice.
He also stressed the need for fruit-processing facilities to increase the value of locally produced fruits.
“Fruit-processing industries are necessary for value addition to all types of fruit. If processing factories are established in Rangamati, the district’s hog plum could eventually be exported beyond the country,” he said.
However, despite good production, a considerable amount of hog plum is wasted every year due to inadequate marketing and storage facilities.
Agricultural stakeholders say the establishment of cold-storage facilities and modern fruit-processing plants could reduce post-harvest losses and create new economic opportunities for hill communities.
With improved storage, market access and value-added processing, Rangamati’s hog plum has the potential to become an important contributor to the district’s rural economy while opening up opportunities for wider domestic and international markets.
