Hundreds of people including small and marginal farmers have achieved self-reliance
through commercial cultivation of high-priced and quick growing fruits in the northern
region in recent years.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) and NGO sources, farming
of high-priced fruits has been expanding fast mostly through private initiatives and
integrated approaches bringing a silent revolution in the rural economy.
More than 30,000 families including landless, ultra poor, distressed women, small and
marginal farmers have achieved self-reliance so far by cultivating different high-priced
and quick growing fruits in their cultivable lands, homesteads, fallow lands and other
places.
The motivational activities, supports and latest technologies being provided by the
DAE, other agri-departments and NGOs proved to be effective in achieving the success
through expanded cultivation of these fruits in the region during the past five years.
Horticulture Specialist of the DAE Khandker Md Mesbahul Islam said many families
have achieved self- reliance through farming quick growing and cross-variety fruits like
orange, grape, banana, baukul, applekul, papaya, lemon, strawberry, water melon, wax
apple, ‘panifal’, guava and other variety fruits.
Besides, cultivation of over 70 varieties of seasonal and traditional fruits including 35
indigenous species are also expanding every year in the homestead areas, cultivable and
fallow lands in the region, he said.
According to the markets sources, the newly harvested baukul, applekul and many other
varieties of the high-valued and quick growing fruits have already appeared in the local
markets with excellent price and the other varieties will appear very soon.
Fruit farmers Abdus Sabur, Kamrun Nahar, Kalipado Roy and Rezaul Karim said the
common people are also meeting nutritional demands through producing fruits around
their homesteads as market prices of fruits are going beyond their reach.
With continuous expansion of high-priced and traditional fruits cultivation, a silent
revolution has taken place in the rural areas as many farmers and common people have
become self-reliant through producing and selling those at lucrative prices.
The fruits traders said that the rich can buy fruits to meet their demands of vitamins,
minerals and nutrition while the poor have been producing those for the same purpose
and earning excellent profits to change their fates and lead better life.
Nursery owners Mariyam Nesa, Kajol Hossain, Abdur Rahim and Shafiqul Islam said they
are earning good profits by selling saplings of high- valued and quick growing fruits and
also wood, medicinal and other tree saplings from their nurseries.
Former Deputy Director of DAE Mamunur Rashid said the government continues
providing assistances for expanding fruit farming that has already become a profitable
venture changing lots of many people everywhere in the northern region.
Regional Additional Director of DAE Sikander Ali predicted brighter prospect for
expanded cultivation of the high-valued, quick-growing and traditional fruits, spices and
vegetables in the homesteads in boosting rural economy under the ‘One House, One
Farm’ programme. -BSS, Rangpur
