Bounty of Guava, Blessing of Nature

Around 2,100 hectares of guava orchards and several floating guava bazaars are spread across 43 villages in Pirojpur, Jhalokati and Barisal. These floating markets receive thousands of boats with fresh guava every morning.  Many from other parts of the country also flock here to see the unique trading and the orchards. People in these areas have been growing "Purna Mandali" variety of the subtropical fruit -- chemical free, delicious and fragrant -- for more than a hundred years. Its peak season is from July to mid-August. Around 20 thousand tonnes of guava from this region goes to metropolitan cities including Dhaka, Narayanganj and Chittagong. Guava is usually sold here at Tk 10-15 per kg but in the peak season, the price goes down from Tk 5 to Tk 2. Growers demand an agro-based industry based on guava.