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Guava farmers in Pirojpur’s Nesarabad upazila and neighboring Jhalakathi Sadar are enjoying unprecedented prices this season, a stark contrast to previous years. This lucrative market situation stems from a significant drop in production, with orchards yielding only about a third of their expected output.

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In previous years, we sometimes failed to harvest all fruits, and some were left to rot. This year the picture is completely different. There are far fewer fruits, and the shortage has kept prices exceptionally high.

The reduced harvest is attributed to a combination of factors, including unfavorable weather during the crucial flowering period, coupled with persistent pest and disease infestations. Growers report that issues like anthracnose, a fungal disease causing black spots, and infestations of beetles and fruit flies have severely damaged the fruit. The lack of pesticide use to control these problems means the damage often goes unchecked, leading to fewer marketable guavas.

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As farmers do not use pesticides to control these pests and diseases, the damage goes largely unchecked.

This scarcity has dramatically altered market dynamics. While guava prices typically peak early in the season and then decline, this year they have remained exceptionally high throughout the peak harvest. Premium-grade guavas are fetching more than Tk 1,000 per maund, a substantial increase from the usual Tk 400 or lower. Commission agents struggle to meet buyer demand, and wholesalers find themselves actively seeking out farmers to purchase their limited supply. The Department of Agricultural Extension reports that seasonal guava is cultivated on approximately 895 hectares in these two upazilas, with the fruit supplied nationwide.

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We are the ones requesting them to sell to us, even offering higher prices. It has become difficult to collect enough fruit to fill a truck.