Gentlemen, Your Local Ber is Sold in Footpath

       I have been giving some real insights of some insightful aspects for this short sojourn, now another such miserable feather is going to be added with this post.

       Ber! Who cares? It may sound strange and outward to many but this is the real fact and factual aspect of local Ber in the Agartala area.

       Now, the season is for Ber, every where (not appropriate) Ber and Ber. But, is it our Ber? (May feel otherwise)? Ber does not distinguish, I, me, you, yours and ours but here it is to distinguish between local and outside Ber.

       But, the fact is; at Agartala fruit market what you see and purchase is all from outside state. It is fleshy, equivalent to seedless and sizeable that sold in good price in the market.

       Packaged in nylon net for half to one kilogram, very affordable and taste is also very astounding.

What is the condition of local Ber? Fruit vendor do not keep and sale local ber. It is not in the up market, it is sold in footpath by some one very humble. Rate! Comparing to outside Ber, it is very pity and paltry.

What is the size of local Ber? It is very small and marble sized or little bigger than sweet pea (with some exception). Taste! Sour most cases and milder in rare cases (may differ).

       However, size, taste did not hamper the use and usability of local Ber in the state. It is due to lack of patronization by local; people for local fruit that it is finding no respectable place in the state. In the taste, achar and chutney prepared from the ripened and dried Ber is famous but waiting for final destiny.

       Already, local Ber has reached to a position from where its revival stands remote some fears, it would one day completely disappear from the state.

      Two decades ago, local Ber used to find a place in the backyard or homestead orchard or otherwise with other fruit plants like mango and jackfruit. But both local mango and jackfruit are in disclaim, Ber has been pushed to the wall furthering the setback. This is also true fact that the Ber is accidental fruit plant means it comes up naturally and later on nursed by men.

       Now, if the reasons of such ignorance are considered to be due to the following reasons like  Taste & Size  People reluctance to all fruit crops, then, let us see the first hypothetical reason which could have pushed local Ber to the position of disappearance.

       Now, if Taste & size maters that could be easily rectified for better performance had there been genuine inclination or interest to the local Ber. People of the state already knew the grafting technique of local Ber. They knew how to produce quality Ber from the existing local Ber through grafting technique but strangely as mentioned, it not being the case now.

       So, here at Tripura, the first reason of hypothetical barrier do not suit, it is the second hypothetical reason that is people reluctance to the local Ber and all fruit crops in general that appropriately fits.

Resource rich doesn’t confer the term Resource worthy; this is how you utilize the existing resources for benefitting human lives which is most forthcoming.

       Preservation, conservation and utilization of resources are the pre-defined dos that people of the state should realize.

       The problem is; people of the state do not consider the local Ber as one of the economic crop probably they may be having different choice of option. The result is; we are depending on outside supply for meeting our need.

       “Farmers of Bijapur and Raichur of Karnataka grow Ber in the arid or semi arid region and earn good income from the Bear crop. Any one from Tripura would probably laugh on listening to this story but it is the fact. May be the differentiation between our farmer and Karnataka farmers may be their early realization to the fact”.

                       The one liner should be “Our existing resources should be nurtured”

                                        Agritangkol dated 09.02.2012 at 4.40 P.M