Bumper pineapple production expected in CHT

RANGAMATI, Mar 15 (BSS): Farmers in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) are expecting a bumper production of pineapple this year due to favourable weather and availability of agri-inputs in time, sources said.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office sources said a total of 5,715 hectares of land have been brought under the cultivation in the entire CHT area with the production target of 1, 99,645 tonnes of the juicy fruit.
Of the total, some 1,775 hectares of land have been brought under the cultivation in Rangamati, 745 hectares in Khagrachhari and 3,225 hectares of land in Bandarban district.
Additional Director of DAE Udoy Sankar Mudsudyee said farmers in the region mainly cultivate two kinds of pineapple.  These are Honey Queen and Giant Key. Pineapple of both the species have started reaching the local markets.