Demand for hill-grown bananas is rising steadily in Cox’s Bazar, with the fruit becoming increasingly popular among both local consumers and tourists.
Grown in the natural environment of the hills, the bananas are valued for their distinctive taste and quality.
Local farmers and members of indigenous communities collect the bananas from remote hill areas and sell them to local traders.
The fruit then reaches different markets across Cox’s Bazar through wholesalers and retailers.
A portion of the supply passing through Sonarpara market is also sent to shops along Marine Drive and other tourist areas.
A visit to Sonar Para market found bunches of hill-grown bananas hanging at roadside tea stalls, fruit shops and other stores.
Tourists purchased bananas, with some consuming them immediately and others taking them home.
Nasir Hossain, a banana trader at Sonarpara market, said demand for hill-grown bananas was high among both locals and tourists.
“Tourists are also buying these bananas in large numbers. Sales are excellent every day, and when the number of tourists increases, our sales rise significantly,” he said.
According to traders, hill-grown bananas worth several lakh taka are sold every day at Sonarpara market and in nearby tourism-oriented areas.
The volume of daily trade, however, varies depending on the season, tourist arrivals and supply.
The trade involves farmers, banana collectors, transport workers, wholesalers and retailers.
As a result, the fruit generates economic activity at several stages before reaching consumers.
Local traders said bananas can be grown relatively cheaply in the hills.
The natural environment, fertile soil and, in many cases, limited use of fertilisers and pesticides have contributed to growing consumer interest in the produce.
A tourist said he enjoyed eating hill-grown bananas while visiting Cox’s Bazar.
“They taste different from ordinary bananas. They are also readily available by the roadside, so it is easy to buy them,” he said.
Local traders believe greater opportunities for production and marketing could increase the income of farmers and businesses involved in the trade.
They also said promoting hill-grown bananas as a local agricultural product among tourists could help expand the market further.
By Mohammad Morshed
Photo: Hussain Shetu
