Locally produced strawberry winning heart of consumers around country

RAJSHAHI, Mar 3: Strawberry, the sweet, aromatic, succulent, juicy fruit which was hardly known to the people of our country even a decade ago because it was not possible to cultivate in our country. But, it is now turning into a popular fruit in the country.
The man who was the silent researcher behind successful cultivation of strawberry in the country is Professor Monjur Hossain of the Department of Botany of Rajshahi University. He has, in fact, revolutionalised the research of tissue culture of the plants and successfully produced the strawberry saplings at his laboratories. Thousands of saplings of strawberry are now being produced and distributed through the farm of Professor Monjur Hossain in Rajshahi across the country and strawberry cultivators of the country are already gaining a windfall profit by cultivating the fruit.
Strawberry plant which looks like potato or tomato plants spreads its stem through runners. Those runners can be cut and transplanted in the soil to grow new plants from there. It is now being widely cultivated in Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Natore and other districts of the country.   
The commercial cultivation of strawberry was inaugurated for the first time in Bangladesh from September 2010.
The government has also ordered Bangladesh Bank Governor to disburse loan on easy term for strawberry cultivation, it is learnt.
Officials of Rajshahi Agriculture Extension Department also encouraged the farmers to cultivate strawberry. They regularly talked with the farmers about the bright prospect and high commercial value of strawberry with the local farmers, informed Younus Ali, Additional Director of DAE, Rajshahi. He informed, strawberry is a vitamin enriched fruit. It has an immense demand abroad. Specially during November to March when strawberry is produced in Bangladesh, it is not produced in any other countries of the world in that time. As a result, strawberry produced in the country has a tremendous demand abroad.
However, the local price of strawberry was very upsetting. Last year, due to problem of storage and export, strawberry was sold at Tk 100 to 500 per kilogramme in the markets of Rajshahi whereas in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet markets the same strawberry was sold at Tk 400 to 700 per kilogramme.
Professor Dr. Monjur Hossain of the department of Botany of Rajshahi University who is also the pioneer of strawberry cultivation in Bangladesh, informed by cultivating strawberry in one bigha of land, a farmer can earn more than taka one lakh in a span of only three months of time.
Professor AKM Rafiul Islam, President of Bangladesh Strawberry Association said, the strawberry cultivation was increasing because it is a high value fruit. Many youngmen are becoming self reliant by cultivating this fruit.
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