Pineapple is one of the most important commercial fruit crops in the world. In Bangladesh, it is ranked third in
terms total production and area farmed, both of which are increasing continually. It is grown in all regions, but especially in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, where many marginalised tribal people became involved in pineapple farming and trade, contributing to both rural livelihoods and national gross domestic product (gDP). Here, the ‘giant Kew’ variety, known locally as Bandarban, has proved well adapted to local environmental conditions and to local and export preferences, being larger, juicier and sweeter than those grown in other areas of the country. To reinforce this market advantage, the CDAIS pineapple partnership identified branding of Bandarban pineapples as the priority demand.
But farmers have not benefited as well as they could from their crop. Why? low bargaining power resulting from not being associated with organised pineapple growers associations, and limited market access. other identified issues include the lack of functional capacities for strengthening existing groups, the dominancy of intermediaries, weak marketing channels, lack of central collection areas, storage facilities and marketplaces, high cost of transportation, lack of knowledge on pineapple processing, and limited access to credit.
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