Fruits were probably the first food in human history. According to various sources, the fruit existed before the creation of man. Fruits are the most nutritious, delicious and favorite of all the foods that people get from nature. This fruit is the easiest and cheapest source of vitamins and minerals and is important as a cure and antidote for many ailments.
To stay healthy and strong, fruits must be in the daily food list. Fruit not only provides food and nutrition to human beings but also to animals. Fruit trees preserve the environment, help prevent natural disasters, prevent soil erosion and provide wood and fuel. Fruits are contributing in many ways not only as food but also in improving quality of life, medicine, economy, social activities etc. Various industries are being established around the fruit, which is creating employment opportunities.
A healthy strong person should have at least 115 grams of fruits in his diet every day. But now we get one-third of it. As a result of low intake of fruits, on the one hand, the pressure on normal food is increasing, on the other hand, the incidence of various malnutrition is increasing. About 6% of the population of our country suffers from various ailments due to lack of Vitamin-A, 90% Vitamin-C, 98% Vitamin-B and 93% Calcium. The main victims of malnutrition are women and children of the country.
In order to ensure year-round nutritional supply throughout the country, vitamin and mineral supplements are available in a few fruits, Substances Morning Vitamin Fruit Name Edge Mineral Fruit Name Vitamin-C Amalki, Guava, Lemon, Orange, Batabi Calcium Almonds, Karamcha, Dates, Amalki. Lemon, litchi, pineapple, papaya. Phosphorus. Litchi, pumpkin, banana, vedana, raisins. Vitamins- B Bell, Pomegranate, Pomegranate, Almond. Iron guava, strawberry, watermelon, date, raw mango. Vitamin B1 banana, orange, litchi, almond. Shura Mango, Banana, Dates, Bell, Cool, Raisins. Vitamin A - ripe mango, ripe papaya, jackfruit, non-vegetarian jackfruit, apple, raisin, fig. Mango, date, fig, bell. Fat jackfruit, avocado, coconut, almonds. Fruit production 10% of our country's crop-based national income comes from fruits. At present about 2% of the land is under fruit tea. The country's fruit production has been increasing at a significant rate due to the recent increase in nutrition awareness among the people as well as the expansion of new modern varieties of fruit production technology, processing, expansion of industry and development of market management. In the last five years, our country's fruit production has almost tripled. Production was 15-61 metric tons in FY 2002-03, it increased to 41.6 metric tons in FY 2007-08.
About 80% of the fruit produced in the country is produced from May to September. Fruit availability is only 20% in the remaining seven months of the year. Fruits are imported from abroad at huge foreign exchange cost to meet the demand for fruits during the mango season. From July 06 to April 06, the country imported 6,37,8 metric tons of fruit. Production of local fruits: Although about 60-70 types of fruits are produced in our country, the main notable local fruits are banana, jackfruit, papaya, guava, kul, lemon, pineapple, watermelon, coconut, litchi etc. Besides, Kamranga, Olive, Ata, Sharifa, Amalki, Bell, Kadbel, Batabi Lemon, Orange, Blackberry, Pomegranate, Mango, Jamrul, Latkan, Harbarai etc. are the major fruits produced.
Fruit Tree Planting Party is celebrated on 18-30 June every year. The theme of the 2006 Fruit Tree Planting Party - Health Nutrition Money, Planting More Fruit Seedlings - is very timely and consistent. Various governmental and non-governmental organizations across the country have launched a massive campaign in this regard and initiatives have been taken to plant fruit saplings. As a part of this, in 2007, the Department of Agricultural Extension launched a special program for planting 12 million fruit and medicinal saplings. At this time, priority has been given to planting a number of major, obsolete or almost extinct fruit seedlings. People are being sensitized through distribution of fruit and medicinal saplings at district and upazila level, organizing fruit tree fairs etc.
It is necessary to come to the doorstep of achieving self-sufficiency in grain crops in Bangladesh and try to ensure the nutritional security of the people of the country by adopting new plans to eradicate malnutrition and increase fruit production.
Fruit is our very favorite food and special blessing of the Creator. The role of fruits in meeting the basic needs of human beings is immense. In addition to accessing a wide range of agricultural inputs, including fuel and furniture, increasing fruit production will help us achieve our desired goals of environmental balance, poverty alleviation and economic development.