MOULVIBAZAR — Pakhi Mia, 55, a longtime grower of vegetables, has turned a leased bigha of fallow land into a thriving apple and ber orchard. The orchard is producing well and earning extra income. He is the first in the area to grow these fruits.
Between the rows of fruit trees, Pakhi has planted leafy greens. His success has prompted neighbors to start their own orchards on fallow plots. Senior officials from the Department of Agricultural Extension recently visited his orchard and came away impressed.
Pakhi Mia lives in Hasnabad village in Jafarnagar union of Juri upazila in Moulvibazar district. He leased a piece of fallow land owned by a relative next to his home and planted the orchard there.
During a visit on Sunday afternoon, 230 apple and ber trees stood on the one-bigha plot, ringed by a bamboo fence. Almost every tree was bearing fruit, with branches bowed by the weight. Leafy greens were growing in the gaps between rows.
Pakhi said he bought apple and ber cuttings from Jashore six months ago and planted them. With regular care, the trees began producing fruit. He started wholesale sales about a week ago and has sold roughly 700 kg of plums so far, at 80 taka per kg. He expects to make at least 400,000 taka from the harvest. His total outlay was 280,000 taka, leaving a profit of more than 100,000 taka.
“I have some land, and I don’t leave any of it fallow,” Pakhi said. “I grow gourd, tomato, eggplant and beans. I’ve already sold about 100,000 taka worth of gourd and eggplant, with costs of about 20,000 taka. In a few days, I will start selling tomatoes and beans. By Allah’s grace, the seasonal vegetable sales keep the household running well.”
Ratan Pal, the local assistant agricultural officer, said no one in Juri had previously grown apples or ber commercially. “Pakhi Mia has surprised everyone. It has taken a lot of work. There is plenty of fallow hilly land at Hasnabad and nearby Bahadurpur. Seeing his success, many have shown interest in growing fruit on fallow hillocks. The agriculture department will offer them every kind of support,” he said.
On Sunday, Md. Abdur Rahim, director general of the Department of Agricultural Extension, and other agriculture officials visited the orchard.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report