BSS, Rangamati :
Lack of carrying and storage facilities has been a major problem for fruit growers in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) region.
Fruits worth over Taka 50-lakh perished in the CHTs region this year due to lack of cold storage, marketing and transport facilities.
Although the farmers in the hill districts of Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban got a good harvest of fruits like litchi, orange, banana, papaya, guava this year, they had to count losses due to lack of storage and transport facilities.
Most of these fruits perished in the prevailing hot spell, said Monu Marma, a grower of remote Pharua under Belaichhari upazila in the district.
Growers said they could not carry the fruits to other markets due to lack of adequate transport facilities. Engine boat and launch are the only means of transport to other places, but they could not use the Kaptai Lake to carry the fruits due to a huge mass of water hyacinth that blocked navigation to a severe extent.
Langadu, Baghaichhari, Borkal, Kawkhali, Naniarchar, Zurachhari and Belaichhari under Rangamati district, Ramgarh, Dighinala, Panchhari, Matiranga, Manikchhari and Mohalchhari of Khagrachhari district and a large area in Bandarbun famous for fruit cultivation.
In the absence of storage and transportation facilities, huge quantities of fruits perish every year in the CHTs, said Additional Director (AD) of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Rangamati, Haroon-or-Rashid.
A good number of people will get job if infrastructure can be established, he said.
