Fruit cultivation brings fortune to thousands in N-dists

RANGPUR, Feb 7 (BSS): Cultivation of fruits on commercial basis has been continuing to increase bringing fortune to thousands of the common people, small and marginal farmers in recent years in the northern districts.
Repeated bumper production with lucrative price have been encouraging the people in farming different fruits, including the high-priced and quick growing variety ones, to change their lot through attaining self-reliance.
Horticulture Specialist Khandker Md Mesbahul Islam of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said cultivation of fruits continues expanding mostly through private initiatives bringing a silent revolution in rural economy.
The agriculture related departments have been providing supports to the farmers and commoners and the initiatives have been proved effective in expanding cultivation of fruits around the orchards, homesteads and in fallow lands.
The government has been providing various assistances for further expanding fruit farming that has already become one of the most profitable ventures bringing a silent revolution changing lots of people, he said.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid said some 23,000 small and marginal farmers, poor families, distressed women and common people have so far achieved self-reliance through cultivating fruits in the region.
Cultivation of the quick growing and cross-variety fruits like banana, baukul, applekul, papaya, lemon, strawberry, water melon, wax apple, wood apple, panifal, guava, amloki, grape, orange and some others have been expanding continuously.
According to the DAE sources, more than 80 varieties of the seasonal traditional fruits, including 40 indigenous species, are being cultivated annually on about 100,000 hectares of land, including the homesteads, in the northern districts.