B Mirror Desk:
The three-day National Fruit Mela 2024, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, concluded on Saturday at the KIB premises in Khamarbari, Dhaka. The fair, which began last Thursday, was themed ‘Fole pushti ortho besh-Smart Krishi Bangladesh’.
A total of 63 stalls were set up by 8 government institutions and 55 private organizations, showcasing various fruits and fruit-growing techniques. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about different fruit cultivation methods and purchase a variety of chemical-free fruits.
Dr. Md. Abdur Razzak MP, President of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture Ministry and former Agriculture Minister, graced the closing ceremony as the chief guest. He emphasized the importance of increasing fruit plantation and distributed awards to individuals and organizations for their participation and contributions to fruit production.
In the government category, the Department of Agricultural Extension was awarded 1st place for their stall exhibition. Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute secured 2nd and 3rd places, respectively.
In the private sector, Farmi Agro achieved the 1st position, Chittagong Meridian Agro Industries Limited came 2nd, and KAFCO Agro secured the 3rd position. Individuals Sohail Rana, AHM Kamruzzaman, and Harun Ur Rashid (Musa) were recognized for their exceptional contributions to fruit production and commercialization.
Special mementos were presented to Professor Abdur Rahim of Bangladesh Agricultural University and Enamul Haque, former Director General of the Agriculture Extension Department, for their significant contributions to fruit production and expansion.
According to the Directorate of Agricultural Extension, the total fruit production in Bangladesh for the fiscal year 2022-23 was 10.53 million metric tons. This included 2.7 million metric tons of mangoes, 230,000 metric tons of litchis, 1.82 million metric tons of jackfruits, and 580,000 metric tons of pineapples.
