Fruit trees at the tree fair, how much do they cost?

The month-long National Tree Fair is underway at the old trade fair grounds in Agargaon, Dhaka. While it usually begins on 5 June to coincide with World Environment Day, this year it started on 25 June due to the Eid holidays and will continue until 24 July.

Visitors can freely enter the fair and buy trees or simply explore the exhibition, which is open daily from 10:00am to 9:00pm. The fair already has a wide variety of local and foreign plants — flowers, fruit trees, medicinal plants, and ornamental shrubbery. There’s a dazzling display of beauty as well as a wide range of prices.

It is observed that the price of the same species of tree can vary greatly — from a few hundred to over a hundred thousand taka — depending on factors like the plant’s height, bushiness, presence of flowers or fruits, and whether it is planted in a pot, sack, or drum. Let’s explore the stories behind the fruit trees at the fair.

It’s that time of year when the harvest of our local mango varieties has come to an end. As a result, almost every stall at the fair is showcasing eye-catching, colourful foreign mangoes. These include Thai Banana, Brunei King, America’s Red Palmer, Japan’s Miyazaki or 'Egg of the Sun', Nam Dok Mai, Punai, Mahachanok, and King of Chok Anan, among many other varieties.

The mango trees planted in large drums are priced between Tk 30,000 to Tk 50,000. The smaller saplings start at Tk 200.

Over the past few years, the presence of jamun trees at the tree fair has become quite noticeable. Among the sea of black varieties, the rare white jamun also makes an appearance. But once again, the reign of the black jamun has returned!

The Thai Jambu Jamun is about the size of a hog plum (amra). Efforts are being made to protect them by covering with mosquito nets.

These jamun trees, with jumbo size fruit, are being priced between Tk 40,000 to Tk 50,000. At Roman Nursery, one such tree is being offered for as high as Tk 150,000! The prices are truly surprising. Even the small saplings are priced above Tk 1,000 — ranging from Tk 1,200 to Tk 2,000.

Alongside the mangoes, jackfruits are also hanging from the trees! Even small trees planted in drums are bearing large jackfruits. To prevent them from falling under their own weight, the fruits are tied with ropes for support.

Some are gumless Thai jackfruits, others are Thai pink jackfruits, and some are year-round (baromasi) jackfruit varieties from Vietnam. Prices range from Tk 10,000 to Tk 15,000. Small saplings are available for Tk 300 to Tk 500.

As a result, even rooftops can now be used to grow our national fruit — jackfruit — with ease.

The Java Apple — known locally as jamrul — grows quite abundantly. The trees bear fruit in various shades, from pale green to red, reddish-brown, and even orange.

At the fair, small, fruitless saplings are available for around Tk 150 to Tk 200. Fruit-bearing trees, however, can cost several thousand. At Mohua Nursery, one such fruit-bearing jamrul tree is priced at Tk 25,000. With its compact size and abundance of fruit, the tree almost resembles a bonsai.

There are both local green-leafed amla trees and varieties with reddish-brown leaves. The local variety produces small, marble-sized fruits, while the Thai variety bears larger, more visually appealing fruits.
At the fair, Thai amla trees that are 10 to 15 feet tall and already bearing fruit are being sold for Tk 20,000 to Tk 30,000. While some buyers are going for these large trees, the same variety is also available as smaller, non-fruiting saplings at a lower price.

The foreign avocado tree is also available in sapling form for just a few hundred taka, at most Tk 1,000. At one nursery from Narsingdi, a two-foot-tall avocado tree has a single fruit hanging from it.

That tree, planted in a drum, is priced at Tk 25,000! If you visit the stall of Barishal Nursery at the fair, you’ll find another avocado tree planted in a drum. This small, bonsai-like tree, with several shiny green fruits, is being sold for a staggering of Tk 150,000.

The price of coconut trees is generally high. It’s difficult to find even a small sapling for under Tk 500. Depending on the variety—local or foreign—and the size, the price can go well beyond several thousand taka. At the Winner Nursery stall at the fair, a coconut tree nearly 20 feet tall is being sold for up to Tk 150,000.

The fruit of the local safeda (sapodilla) variety is round. Saplings are available for just a few hundred taka. The Thai safeda, on the other hand, is elongated in shape. A fruit-bearing Thai safeda tree costs between Tk 8,000 and Tk 25,000. At the Ma-Moni Nursery stall, a special variety called Mami Sapodilla is available — it has the largest fruit with only one seed, and is priced at Tk 80,000.

Three eye-catching fruit-bearing date palm trees are on display at three different nurseries. At DC Nursery, there’s a Medjool variety date palm with clusters of reddish-brown fruit, priced at Tk 150,000. At the BRAC Nursery stall, you’ll find the Sukkary variety, also bearing clusters of fruit, with a price tag of Tk 130,000.

Though visitors are surprised by the high prices, they are equally amazed by the sight of these fruit-laden trees. Many have even posed next to the trees to take photos.