Rajshahi youth's companion planting a trailblazing success

RAJSHAHI, Dec 07: Asif Iqbal, a resident of Biharipara village in Puthia upazila of Rajshahi district, has achieved an overwhelming success by the way of companion planting (crops sown with other crops) in mango orchards.
He quitted a high-paying job in a private company in Dhaka and started farming with the dream of becoming an entrepreneur and got an ultimate success.
This young man who completed his graduation and post-graduation degrees from Rajshahi College in political science, MBA in marketing and law course from two different institutions embarked on a 'safe mango movement' through producing mangoes free from harmful pesticides in a 36-bigha mango garden owned by his father Golam Kibria Farooq.
Later, he made a revolution by cultivating various crops including guava, papaya, turmeric as companion crops.
Lemon trees as aisle or fence add a different dimension to his garden. Besides, he has achieved great success by cutting big mango trees and planting small trees. Apart from being successful in this, he also created employment for local people.
Seven years ago, Asif Iqbal started cultivating mixed varieties of mangoes in the garden located in Puthia upazila in collaboration with his father Ghulam Kibria Farooq.
But in 2019, this young entrepreneur started looking after the garden alone when his father became bedridden.
Later, because of the use of new innovative ideas and production of mangoes free of harmful pesticides, his 'safe mango movement' made enormous progress.
In 2016, the mangoes that were sent abroad from Rajshahi for the first time came from the garden of Asif Iqbal. In the next two years, mangoes were exported from his garden too.
Recently this correspondent visited the garden and saw that banana trees have been planted in a six-bigha portion of the 36-bigha mango garden. In the remaining 30 bighas, besides 72 varieties of mangoes of local and foreign species, various other crops including guava, turmeric and papaya are being cultivated as companion crops.
Among the 72 varieties of mangoes are Charusha, Baghashahi, Chaite Baisakhi, Tikkafras (raw sweet), Bouvhulani (raw sweet), Gopal Khas, Gopal Bhog, Krishan Bhog, Chandan Kosha, Khirshapat, Himsagar, Jashohri, Rani Pocondo, Haribhanga, Kalua Green, Kalua Yellow, Taherpuri, Lakhna/ Lakshmanbhog, Gur Atti, Mihidana, Rajbhog, Shyamabhog, Totapuri, Nak Fazli, Banana Mango, Langra, Maharaj Fazli, Bogla Guti, Surma Fazli, Thai Fazli, Mallika, Misrikant, Amrapali Green, Amrapali Ten, Arajam, Dudhswara (Long), Dudhswara (Bate), Mahananda, Barifor, Agnisharma, Swarnkamal, Chosha, Ranguai, Ashwina, Fonia, China Drop, Nyabhog, Gaurmati, Bandigauri, Carabao, Kent, Pahutan, Kartimon , Rajbilasi, Taiwan Green, Hybrid Fazli and Guti Rani. Besides, Asif Iqbal has planted a very tasty guava tree of Golden Eight variety. Big-sized guavas hang in bunches of the small tree. Guavas are kept in polythene to protect them against pesticides and insects. This high-quality tree brought from Satkhira district bears guava for 12 months.
Asif Iqbal said in the hope of getting higher yields and prices, many people use various harmful pesticides or chemicals from the budding to selling stages of mangoes. It causes a lot of damage to human health as well as plants.
"I encourage everyone to grow mangoes naturally, which is safe for trees and human health. We are making everyone aware that it is possible to get more yields through proper care without using harmful chemicals and pesticides," he said.
"In that case, if you plant early and late ripening mango trees, the price of those mangoes will be better before and after the season. Apart from this, I am also benefiting from cultivating other crops including improved varieties of guava as companion crops," he added.
Smriti Rani Sarkar, upazila agriculture officer of Puthia, said, "Asif Iqbal is an educated young entrepreneur. There are about 72 varieties of mangoes in his garden. He produces pesticide-free mangoes. At present, he is successfully cultivating various crops including guava, lemon as companion crops in the garden."
"If such enterprising youths cultivate crops in coordination with the Agriculture Office, their cultivation will be easier. Besides, agricultural development in the country will be accelerated."

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