Potentials of horticultural crops in CHT

The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), comprising the Bandarban, Khagrachhari and Rangamati hill districts in the south-east and covering one-tenth of the country’s area, are an agriculturally diverse area rich in natural resources. The importance of this region is immense in terms of agricultural development. The population here is increasing day by day. Food and nutrition security is also a pressing issue for this large population in remote areas.

To ensure food and nutrition security, according to the instructions of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, not even an inch of land should be left vacant. It is necessary to implement it even in hilly areas. The current agro-friendly government is keen on doubling agricultural productivity to achieve the SDGs by 2030. Transforming agriculture into profitable and export-oriented commercial agriculture is also one of the goals of the government. For this, the government has a multi-pronged action plan for agriculture in this diverse region. Article 9.3 of the National Agriculture Policy 2018 has given the status of special regional agriculture to hill agriculture. So, its importance has increased day by day.

Hill agriculture can be broadly divided into five categories, namely: (i) Upland agriculture, for example- jhum cultivation and plantation of horticultural crops/spices or mixed orchards; (ii) Valley or plain land agriculture, for example- cultivating winter and summer vegetables, rice, maize, ground nut, sugarcane, cotton and tobacco etc; (iii) Agro-forestry; (iv) Animal husbandry; and (v) Pond or Lake or creek fish farming. There are also different farming methods such as frinch land agriculture i.e. when the water of Kaptai Lake recedes and the land floats, various vegetables and crops including paddy are cultivated there. Besides, there are rubber plantations, agar plantations etc. Today’s discussion is made mainly based on horticultural crops in the hills.

Hill agriculture mainly depends on horticultural crops. Recently, this region is emerging as a new fruit hub. This is a positive aspect for the country. According to a report recently published in a national daily newspaper, 44 types of fruits including mango, banana, jackfruit, papaya, pineapple and orange are being produced in the three CHT districts, which is about 15% of the fruits produced in the whole country.

According to sources, 15.59 lakh tonnes of fruits were produced in 2017 on about 92,000 hectares of land.

After four years, the production increased by 15 per cent to about 1.8 million tons.

At present, the size of the fruit market of the three districts stands at about Tk 8,500 crores. The amount of land for fruit cultivation is 99,669 hectares. According to the source, six fruits - mango, jackfruit, banana, papaya, pineapple and orange - account for 81 per cent of the total fruits produced in the three hill districts. The districts produce 14,67,594 tonnes of these six fruits. Apart from them, 38 fruits including dragon fruit, cashew nut, coffee and olive are produced in these districts.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, Rangamati region, 2022, the total cultivable area of ​​fruit in the three hill districts in 2020-21 has been calculated to be 99,67.5 hectares with a total production of 16,85,529 tonnes. The total value in terms of money is over Tk 1,807.42 crore. According to the data, 44 types of conventional and non-conventional fruits are being planted along with other fruits. Of these, there are about 27 types of unconventional fruits and the rest is conventional ones.

Among the common fruits are mango, jackfruit, banana, lychee, guava, banana, papaya, pineapple, orange, malt, watermelon and dragon fruit.

Among the unconventional fruits are almond, coffee, olive, batabilebu, amla, kadbel, tamarind, latkan, amra, chalta, dewa, kaufal, bilambi, golapjam, and gab.

In recent times, farmers have been known to be very successful in planting about 20 varieties of fruits. Among them are various foreign fruits. There has been a silent mango revolution in the hilly areas over the past decade. Once upon a time, mangoes used to come to the hills from North Bengal. Now, hill mangoes are going to almost all parts of the country. These mangoes are being transported by trucks and courier services.

Garden owners and traders have demanded a reduction of various tolls on the same agricultural products while being transported by truck. Hill mangoes have a distinct reputation. Among the mango varieties planted in the hills, BARI Mango-3, BARI Mango-4, BARI Mango-8, and Banana Mango have received quite a response. Many colourful varieties of mango from abroad are also being planted. It is important to bring these foreign mangoes to the attention of researchers. Otherwise, there is a risk of spreading unknown diseases from abroad.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, Rangamati region, 2022, the mango production area in the three hill districts in 2020-21 is 14,538 hectares with a total production of 1,64,804 tonnes. Its total financial value is 164 crore 60 lakh 40 thousand taka. In that year, the total production of jackfruit was 2 lakh 82 thousand 5 hundred and 1 hectare with a financial value of 131 crore 25 lakh 5 thousand taka; total production of lychee was 30 thousand 8 hundred 21 tonnes with a total value of 30 crore 82 lakh 10 thousand taka; total production of banana was 5 lakh 76 thousand 419 tonnes with a total monetary value of 576 crore 41 lakh 90 thousand taka; and total production of guava 34 thousand 432 tonnes with a total value of 34 crore 43 lakh 20 thousand taka.

Pineapples from Rangamati and Bandarban are also quite famous. Henequen is grown in Rangamati and Giant Q pineapple in Bandarban. Total pineapple production in the three hill districts is 1 lakh 73 thousand 8 hundred 84 tonnes with a total monetary value of 260 crore 82 lakh 60 thousand taka. Hilly papaya is appreciated all over the country including in the capital. The total production of this papaya is 1 lakh 68 thousand 6 hundred and 52 tonnes with a total value of 252 crore 97 lakh 80 thousand taka. Orange from Bandarban’s Ruma and Rangamati’s Sajek is very popular.

Although jhum farming is a primitive farming method in the hills, it is the bondage of the tribal community. Jhum farming also has an economy. It is called a food bank.

Many tribes depend on jhum cultivation as many crops are available in the same hill at the same time. However, due to the low yield of jhum crops and lack of hills for jhum cultivation, many people are turning to permanent mixed fruit orchards or engaging in other lucrative occupations.

My PhD research on the socio-economic impact of hill farming on indigenous farmers’ livelihood in 2009 showed that there were about 18 different crops on the same jhum hill at that time.

At present, it stands at five or six. In remote areas, many tribes still depend on jhum farming. Sub-paragraph 9.3.1 of the National Agricultural Policy 2018 calls for strengthening modern variety and technology development programmes suitable for environmentally friendly jhum farming.

A variety of crops are cultivated in jhum local and upland varieties of paddy, sweet pumpkin, marfa, chinal, arahar, bean, cucumber, sesame, maize, chilli, millet, yard long bean, pumpkin, cotton and marigold etc.

The number of these crops depends on the jhum size and choice of farmers.

On the other hand, valley land is an important production area in hills where paddy as well as various high-value vegetables are cultivated. Due to tobacco cultivation, the area under cultivation of many vegetables has decreased. Profitable high-value crops need to be introduced as an alternative to tobacco by providing marketing facilities like tobacco.

Cashew nut and coffee cultivation is a new addition to the CHT’s agricultural economy. According to sources, the area under cashew nuts in the three hill districts in 2020-21 is 2,027 hectares with a total production of 4 tonnes. In the 2014-15 financial year, 18,000 kg of cashew nuts were imported, but in 2018-19, it stood at 580,000 kg. Cashew nut imports have increased almost 32-fold in just four years.

Thousands of crores of takas are being spent every year on importing cashew nuts alone.

The existing cashew nut and coffee project is intending to raise the productivity of existing varieties and develop new improved varieties.

Coffee is another potential crop in hilly areas. If the uncultivated lands can be brought under coffee and cashew nut cultivation without harming nature and the existing crops, it is possible to earn about 17 thousand crore takas annually from these two crops, which will be a milestone for Bangladesh, as reported by a daily national newspaper. There is a huge demand for coffee at home and abroad. The country has to import 95 per cent of its coffee. In the fiscal year 2019-20, 32.517 tonnes of green coffee had to be imported. The present agri-friendly government is emphasising export by reducing import dependence.

Gardeners and fruit traders have been demanding an integrated toll system during fruit transportation for a long time.

Fruit growers need to be given hands-on training and skill development by increasing post-harvest management and value-addition facilities in the fruit-growing areas.

If an integrated and sustainable market system is developed along with it, this region will become one of the most robust fruit-hub areas of the country.

Dr M Jamal Uddin is the principal scientific officer of the Regional Agriculture Research Station of BARI in Chattogram and the former national consultant for FAO of the United Nations. He can be reached at [email protected]