Malta cultivation sees success in Barisal

Two years ago, Sadik Hossain's fate changed when he harvested malta, a very profitable fruit in the southern district.

Malta farming has turned out to be a success for the businessman turned farmer, as well as for many others in Barisal.

Sadik, a small businessman from Dinar village under Charkawa union of Barisal Sadar upazila, decided to plant malta trees on his land to grow organic fruits after learning that  chemical-tainted fruits pose threat to  human health.

With that in mind, two years ago, he planted malta trees. Now all his Malta trees are producing fruits.

“I have already sold 6 maunds of malta for Tk 20,000 a maund in the local market,” Sadik said.

He planted 200 plants of "Bari malta" on two acres of land investing Tk 80,000 in November 2015. Now he hopes  to plant 300 more trees on additional three acres of land.

Sumitra, 35, owner of another malta orchard in Tulaban village, said, “Last year, I sold Tk 80,000 worth of malta. I hope to get Tk 1.5 lakh [from its sale] this season, spending only Tk 25,000.”

One kilogram of large and sweet malta is selling at Tk 100 in the local market, Sumitra added.

Following Sumitra's footsteps, others have also become inspired and interested in cultivating malta.

Real Chakma, 32, had a good harvest this year from his orchard.

Maha Ranjan Chakma, 35, a fruit trader, said he collected malta from the local orchards this year. He sold them at high price because the quality of the fruit was good.

The use of vermi-compost fertiliser and bio-pesticide instead of chemical fertilisers or insecticides is also increasing to ensure organic nature of the fruit.

The fruit weighs 250 to 300 grams each, said Gonesh Chandra Dutta, 45, a fruit trader.

“It is very popular in local market, because it is more tasty and delicious compared to the imported ones,” he added. 

Swapon Kumar Halder, senior deputy director of Horticulture Centre at Agriculture Research Institute in Barisal, said malta farming is now popular in the southern region and it is increasing day by day as it is a profitable crop.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in the district Krishno Prashad Mallik said malta was grown on 54 hectares of land in the district and 635 tonnes of the fruit was harvested this year. The yield has been good due to favourable weather conditions, he added.

A pilot project was taken up for the first time in Chittagong hill tracts with a variety called Bari-1 and around 18,000 malta plants were distributed by DAE among farmers in the district this year, he also said.