Traders start exporting Bagha’s guava to Italy

After mangoes, farmers started exporting guava from char (riverbed) areas in Bagha Upazila of Rajshahi district to Italy creating hope of furthermore expansion of the cash crop in the region enormously.

After packaging the first consignment of guava weighing a half tonne was sent to Italy through Adab International, an exporting entity, on Tuesday.

Shafiqul Islam, Owner of Sadi Enterprise at Pakuria village under the same upazila, said their guavas will be exported through the central Packaging House of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Dhaka.

“We have sent a limited amount of guava in the first shipment and are contacting different other exporting organisations for a large volume of export,” he added.

Entrepreneur Islam said they have cultivated guava on 50 bighas of land in his village. Once upon a time, huge lands of his village remained barren. But at present, mango, jujube, and guava are being cultivated and produced on the lands in a contract farming system.

Farmers are also being imparted training besides providing them with other requisite support on behalf of the local DAE office. There is also a bright prospect of exporting jujube from the upazila.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Shafiullah Sultan said their farmers exported mangoes to many foreign countries through contract farming last year. Similarly, they have started exporting guavas.

In the last season, 30 tonnes of mangoes were exported to different Europe and Middle East countries from Bagha upazila.