Farmers in Charghat, an upazila of Rajshahi, are growing alternative crops on about 250 hectares beyond the usual field crops, according to the upazila agriculture office. They include malta, strawberries, grapes, oranges, year-round mangoes, sweet hog plums, cotton and high-value vegetables, as well as seedlings raised under polynet.
Hanif Mondol of Fatehpur village in Charghat is one example. After finishing higher education he chose not to chase a salaried job, and in 2019 he planted an orchard of malta and other fruit on about 16 bighas of land. His Hanif Agro Farm and Nursery now grows oranges, grapes, custard apples, pomegranates and mangoes alongside malta. He earns from selling both fruit and saplings of different varieties, and his work has drawn other young people into fruit farming.
Pomegranates are also being grown commercially in Charghat with success.
Upazila agriculture officer Al Mamun Hasan said that to make farming pay, growers need to choose the right crop, manage production costs and understand the market. He said Charghat’s soil and climate suit alternative crops, and that expanding them would raise farmers’ incomes and create jobs locally.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report