PANCHAGARH, Nov 26 (UNB): Orange cultivation has turned out to be a highly profitable venture in Panchagarh district, with record production of the fruit over the last several years.
The fruit is now being cultivated commercially here after the bordering district has seen widespread expansion of its farming along orchards and homesteads in the last eight years.
Several hundred farmers are now involved in the farming of the citrus species of fruit mainly due to its cost-effectiveness. This year, 73 hectares of land, including homesteads of the farmers, were brought under orange cultivation in the district, which has seen bumper output of the fruit.
Some 41,000 trees were planted under a project taken up by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and each tree has borne 200-250 oranges on an average.
According to experts, the soil as well as the climate of the district are very much friendly for cultivation of orange.
Deputy director of the DAE, Panchagarh Sahir Uddin said more than one hundred orange orchards, ranging from small to large, have been created across the district, where the farmers are producing the fruit commercially and getting high profit.
The DAE sources said orange cultivation is expanding in the rural areas of the district amazingly.
Salauddin Prodhan, professor of a college, who hails from Harivasha Barabari village in Panchagarh Sadar upazila, has been involved in orange cultivation for the last 5-6 years. He has raised an orange garden near his house.
Salauddin said from the orchard he sells oranges worth Tk2-2.5 lakh every year. He cultivates big size and juicy oranges which are so popular that the wholesalers themselves come directly to his house to collect those.
Like Salauddin, Achinta Kumar Karkun, Bachhu Miah, Habib Prodhan, Sajedur Rahman and many other farmers have been cultivating orange for the last 7-10 years throughout the district, although it was a hobby for them at the initial stage.
Their success story has inspired others and a remarkable number of farmers have opted for its cultivation.
The Ministry of Agriculture took up a programme titled "Orange Development Project" in 2007 aiming to increase the fruit's production to reduce dependence on its import.
Under the project, the ministry has trained up some farmers and distributed orange seeds among them.
The amount of orange produced here can meet the local demand of the nutritious fruit, farmers' sources said.
The DAE expects that around 195 tonnes of orange would be produced in the district in the current year.
Despite the bumper production, a considerable amount of oranges got damaged dropping off the trees, as the farmers have not got proper instructions to save them.
Orange farmer Achinta Kumar Karkun said the timeframe of the Orange Development Project ended in 2011.
As a result, the farmers are not getting technical support and instructions while insects are infesting and diseases are breaking out, he added.
Deputy Director Sahir Uddin said considering the farmers' demand the Orange Development Project will be launched again.
The project would help the farmers increase the production, he added.
