Pineapple on 2 acres in Madhupur, a Tk 50,000 loss; farmers get Tk 10–15, cities pay Tk 40–50

According to The Business Standard, Madhupur upazila in Tangail alone has 6,630 hectares under pineapple, about 85 percent of it the Kalender (Giant Q) variety. More than 100 trucks leave Jalchhatra bazar daily, each carrying 3,000 to 10,000 fruits. Yet farmers get Tk 10–18 per pineapple, while the same fruit sells for Tk 40–50 in Dhaka and other cities. One Madhupur farmer said he planted pineapple on two acres last year and lost Tk 50,000. In his words, without heavy chemicals the fruit neither grows large nor colours well, yet the market wants big, bright fruit. A market association leader's math: 0.3 acres yields 8,000 pineapples, Tk 80,000 at Tk 10 each; but Kalender takes 18 months, and labour, fertiliser and pesticide cost nearly Tk 50,000, leaving the farmer Tk 30,000–40,000 a year. A young farmer said the harvest was bigger this year but he earned less than last year; with no storage, he must sell right after harvest. The hilly red soil suits few other crops, so farmers cannot easily switch. Despite GI status, farmers say nothing has improved for them.