Lack of storage facilities puts CHT fruit growers in peril

RANGAMATI, July 19 (BSS): Lack of storage, marketing and infrastructure development facilities are the major obstacles to ensuring fair prices of seasonal fruits in the Chittagong Hill Tracts [CHT].
Farmers of the hill districts of Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban have been producing tonnes of various kinds of fruits on hills top, foothills, hillside and plain lands across the rugged CHT region.
This year, the cultivators of the CHT region, a potential fruits growing areas of the country, also harvested huge quantities of fruits but they could not get fair prices due to zigzag road communications, lack of marketing as well as absence of storage and transport facilities, officials, businessman and farmers said.
The farmers of the region have also counted heavy losses this year as they did not find potential buyers of their products.  Sometimes they were bound to sell their fruits at throwaway prices because of absence of the buyers.
Every year tonnes of different kinds of rotten seasonal fruits like mangoes, litchis, pineapples, watermelons, oranges, tomatoes, jackfruits, bananas, papaya and guavas worth over millions of Taka are being perished due to lack of cold storages, fruit processing plants, marketing and transport facilities.
Officials, businessman, community leaders and farmers have demanded of the authorities concerned to set up cold storages, fruits processing plants, modern road and marketing facilities in the CHT to protect the interest of tribal farmers.
"This year most of these fruits perished during hot spells sweeping the country", said Razib Tripura of Sajek valley in Baghaichhari upazila, adding the farmers of the area could not carry their fruits to other markets for lack of adequate transport facilities".
Engine boats and launches are the only means of transportation to ferry their products to the main land and other places but they could not use the Kaptai Lake due to huge water hyacinth blocking smooth navigation, he said.
Rabindra Lal Chakma (Suzan), a fruits grower and traditional ethnic leader, told BSS that he could not not attain success as he failed to transport his fruits to Rangamati or Kaptai due to communication hazard.
Langadu, Baghaichhari, Borkal, Kawkhali, Naniarchor, Zurachhari and Bilaichhari under Rangamati district and Ramgarh, Dighinala Panchhari, Matiranga, Manikchhari and Mohalchhari of Khagrachhari district and the entire Bandarban district are famous for fruit cultivation, Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said.