Now anyone can buy around 40 lemons at a throwaway price of Tk 10 at any vegetable market and even at road intersections from the floating vendors while its usual price was around Tk 1 to Tk 3 per piece. The price tends to shoot up to around Tk 5 per piece during Ramadan.

Lemon, the favourite citrus fruit used in sherbet and curries, comes in several varieties such as Kagoji, 12-month Kagoji, Shorboti and Elachi.

According to traders at Karwan Bazar, it is mostly the Kagoji and Elachi variety of lemons that have flooded the city markets.

Jahir, a trader from Karwan Bazar however told this correspondent that lemons sold in the streets are of poor quality and consist of those thrown away from the wholesale markets.

"Lemon has to be sold within a day of receiving it from the farmers because it would be of little value after it becomes reddish," he said.

"Now that demand is so poor in comparison with the unprecedented harvest, we are literally being compelled to give it away. A huge amount of lemons are just rotting for the lack of preservation facilities," he added.

Abdul Matin, chairman of Karwan Bazar Kachabazar Arat Malik Samity, said truckloads of lemons are coming to Dhaka every day. The supply has been excessive since the last two weeks. The supply will be huge for another month or so until the ongoing season is over.

According to agriculturists, although lemons come from all over the country, the biggest chunk of the supply comes from Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Manikganj, Chittagong and the adjacent areas.

According to Tareq Rahman, president of Nursery Owners' Association, lemon plantation has marked a significant increase in recent times.

"As they are easy to grow and maintain, lemon plantation is rapidly expanding in the country, and so are the varieties. People are now cultivating lemon even in tubs on rooftops," he said.

Rakibul Bari Khan, a social forestry specialist from Brac, said the improved awareness in sowing good seeds to get healthy plants has been the driving force behind the unprecedented harvest of lemons and other fruits.

"The introduction of high yielding improved variety seeds and grafts are the reasons of lemon and other fruits revolution in the country," he said.

"People have started planting seeds in their homestead gardens. Lemon plants are often preferred as they take less space than mango or jackfruit trees. Another reason is the use of lemon plants as hedges," said Rakibul.

Earlier lemons were planted in some specific areas of the country but now these are being produced almost all over the country.