Small canoes full of guavas, wholesale traders and tourists flock to buy guavas that are swaying in the waves of the canoes. This is a scenic view at the confluence of three canals.
If you enter through any of the canals, there is a green ceremony on both sides of the canal. Eye-catching guava orchards and crop fields everywhere. Heru Hartanto Subolo, the Indonesian ambassador to Bangladesh, expressed his fascination with this largest guava plantation and floating guava market in Asia.
The ambassador said that after visiting guava orchards and markets, he would encourage Indonesian businessmen to invest, pointing out that there are enough opportunities for industrialization here. He was accompanied by Mrs Sinta Eka Wati Subolo. Third Secretary Fitri Nurul Islami said that he studied agriculture.
He said, basically Mrs. Subolo encouraged us to do this trip. We are interested in researching this guava and doing something to benefit the farmers here.
Syeda Nasreen Rahman, wife of Novo Group Chairman Mustafizur Rahman, SM Mohiuddin Badsha, Manager of Novo Group and Nesharabad Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mahbub Ullah Majumdar of Pirojpur district were also present during their visit.
Ambassador Heru Hartanto Subolo arrived in Barishal on Tuesday night and stayed at a local residential hotel. On Wednesday morning, he along with his companions traveled to Swarupkathi in Pirojpur district, a distance of 29 km from Barisal. Nesharabad Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mahbub Ullah Majumdar and Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Nesharabad Police Station welcomed him there. Ambassador Subolo and his entourage hired a boat and first visited the floating guava market at Bhimruli at the mouth of three canals.
Guava sellers at the floating market said that July, August and September are the three months of guava season here. Besides the ambassador, many other visitors have come to see small canoes full of guavas in the crowded market. Farmers said that hundreds of visitors come and go every day in Bhimruli and Atghar Kuriana guava estates.
The Indonesian Ambassador and his entourage also went up and visited Bhimruli Bazaar. Meanwhile, they were impressed by the variety of fruits including bilati gab, green coconut, papia and banana and bought them. After that, the guests along with the ambassador entered the Asia's largest guava garden at Atghar Kuriana.
According to the sources of the local agriculture department, there are 2 thousand 25 guava orchards in 22 villages of Atghar Kuriana union of Nesharabad upazila and 22 villages of neighboring Jalabari and Samudayakathi unions. This guava has been cultivated commercially in villages for hundreds of years. But guava is a perishable fruit. It has a short shelf life. The life of these guava farmers has not changed due to lack of communication system and conservation. Rather, farmers are gradually losing interest in guava cultivation.
However, many farmers expressed hope. They said that they are enjoying the benefits of the Padma Bridge and are able to collect guavas directly from the trees and send them to Dhaka recently. Farmers said that the number of visitors has also increased more than before.