Agricultural entrepreneur Milan Fakir has drawn attention by commercially cultivating pineapples for the first time in Jadunandi union of Saltha upazila in Faridpur. He has built up a large orchard by planting 80,000 pineapple saplings on 8 bighas of land in Jadunandi village of the union. He dreams of earning Tk 80 lakh if the yield is good. The local agriculture department said this is the first time pineapples are being grown commercially on a large scale in Saltha. The venture is set to open the door to new possibilities for pineapple cultivation in the area.
Milan, who has long been involved in growing various kinds of vegetables, planted a few pineapple saplings on the roof of his house last year out of interest. After getting a better-than-expected yield there, he planned to grow pineapples commercially. He later collected 80,000 saplings of the Calendar and Joldhugi varieties from Madhupur in Tangail and planted them on 8 bighas of land.
Milan said his confidence grew after getting good results from growing pineapples on his roof. That was when he decided to cultivate pineapples on a larger scale. He has spent Tk 16 lakh so far on collecting saplings, preparing the land and tending the crop. Harvesting will begin next year. “If the yield is good, I hope it will be possible to sell Tk 80 lakh worth of pineapples,” he said. Milan also said that, alongside selling pineapples, he has plans to produce and sell saplings. If the venture succeeds, other farmers in the area will also be encouraged to take up pineapple cultivation, he said.
A visit to the site showed pineapple saplings planted in rows across a wide field. The neatly and carefully laid-out orchard has already become a focal point of interest for local farmers. Every day, farmers come from various areas to see the orchard and ask about different aspects of pineapple cultivation.
Rafiq Molla, a local farmer, said: “We have never before seen pineapples grown commercially in our area. We are encouraged to see Milan’s orchard. If he succeeds, we too will think about growing pineapples in the future.”
Local residents said that if Milan’s unconventional venture, going beyond the usual cultivation of rice, onions and vegetables, succeeds, it will open a new horizon for pineapple cultivation in the Faridpur region. At the same time, it will create a new source of income for farmers.
Upazila agriculture extension officer Rezaul Karim said pineapples were being grown commercially for the first time in Saltha. It marks the beginning of new possibilities in fruit cultivation in the area, he said. The agriculture department is providing regular technical advice and support. If the venture succeeds, many more farmers will come forward to grow pineapples, he said, adding that the department hopes so.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report