Young agricultural entrepreneur Ahsanul Islam Don posing in his avocado orchard at Tatvipur village in Kaliganj upazila of Jhenaidah district — FE Photo PABNA, Aug 25: Farming of Avocado, a Mexican fruit that is enriched with different nutrients, has started in Jhenaidah and its nearby districts for its high demand and profits.
Avocado looks like guava and its scientific name is persea americana. Mexico is the origin of the nutritious fruit.
Ahsanul Islam Don, a highly educated young entrepreneur, dreamed of cultivating avocado in his hometown Jhenaidah. Finally, his dream of farming the foreign fruit has come true.
He has been cultivating various fruits and crops on 65 bighas of land for about 18 years. He started his farming work with one bigha of land in 2007, but currently he has brought 65 bighas of land into cultivation of various fruits.
Four years ago, he planted four varieties of avocado (pinkerton, fuerte, bacon, zutano) on four bighas of land at Tatvipur village of Kaliganj upazila under Jhenaidah district. Almost all 180 are bearing the fruit. Last year, a small amount of fruit was produced which was sold at Tk 500 per kg for Tk 0.1 million (1 lakh).
The young entrepreneur expects that 15 maunds of avocado fruit will be produced from his project this year despite adverse weather.
"Avocado trees bear fruit for 200 to 300 years," he said, adding that the demand for this fruit is increasing day by day among conscious people due to its medicinal properties.
The cultivation of this fruit in rural area is attracting the attention of marginalised people and ordinary farmers.
Talking about this matter, Kaliganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Mahbub Alam Rony said some agricultural entrepreneurs of the upazila are cultivating this fruit.
Three avocado demonstration plots have been given to 3 farmers from Upazila Agriculture Office.
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