Feature: Farmers in Bangladesh's pineapple heartland eye Chinese market

DHAKA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- In Tangail district, located in central Bangladesh, the pineapple industry is thriving.

Recognized as a Geographical Indication (GI) product, pineapples from Tangail are renowned across the country for their sweetness and juiciness, and they are even expanding into international markets such as the United Arab Emirates.

According to local media reports, thanks to favorable climate conditions and careful management by farmers, this year's pineapple harvest has been promising. Every day, around 25 to 30 trucks transport pineapples worth nearly 30 million Bangladeshi taka (about 248,535 U.S. dollars) to major cities across the country.

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) estimates that Tangail's pineapple trade could generate about two billion Taka (about 16.60 million dollars) this season, making it a key driver of the local economy and a vital source of income for farmers.

Lokman Hossain Liton, a pineapple trader, told Xinhua recently that "I sell pineapples in Bangladesh's Dhaka, Sylhet, Barisal, Jessore, and Khulna. If we get the opportunity in the future, we will try to supply pineapples to China as well."

"We are already working with a few villages with the vision of sending our pineapples to other countries," said Liton, adding "We hope that we will be granted the ability to make our target come true."

At present, the DAE is planning to establish a pineapple processing plant to diversify the use of fresh pineapples into value-added food products, with the goal of boosting exports and further strengthening the market potential of Bangladeshi pineapples.

Local farmer Md. Sanwar Hossain said that the best news is that "our pineapples have received GI recognition. After receiving this GI recognition, we believe that we need to further improve the quality of our pineapple production."

In today's world, agriculture is a competitive profession, and in this competitive market, countries like China are far ahead, said Sanwar.

"To maintain this leading position, we farmers need to apply their experience in our research work and improve the quality of our pineapples many times over, so that we can produce pineapples of expert quality to compete in the global market," he added.