Orange lures farmers in Dinajpur, Panchagarh

The orange orchard of Mominul Islam at Bachaganj in Dinajpur, snapped recently. PHOTO: STAR

A number of farmers had started small scale commercial cultivation of orange few years back on experimental basis. Their good success has encouraged many others to raise orchards of the delicious and costly winter fruit, now mostly imported.

Climate in the three northern districts- Dinajpur, Thakurgoan and Panchagarh -- is favorable for orange cultivation and best quality orange can be produced there, research by agriculture scientists has shown.

Although there is bright prospect of orange cultivation in the three districts, government has not yet come up with any support to farmers. Some farmers have started orange cultivation without waiting for government support.

Former Secretary of Agriculture Ministry Shahidul Islam who is now a consultant of IADC in a study said that besides Sylhjet, soil and climate of eight northern districts are suitable for orange cultivation. This will save a huge amount of foreign currency spent every year for orange import.

Among the eight districts, the soil of Dinajpur and Panchagarh is most suited for orange cultivation, the study report said.

Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Dinajpur, when contacted said they have no programme to promote its cultivation.

An official of Local Government and Engineering Department in Panchagoarh raised a small orange orchard. He is getting good yield for last two years. He said he planted 1500 saplings in its orchard.

Agriculture expert Mominul Islam, a former deputy director of DAE introduced orange cultivation in his land first. He cultivated orange in his three acres of land in 1995. He earned profit of T 15000 in 2000. Later he expanded his garden.

He also sells saplings of orange plants and earns about Tk one lak taka a year, he told this correspondent.

Many farmers in Dinajpur and Panchagoarh are now raising orange gardens.

During a recent visit, Bodrul Islam of Bochaganj village in Dinajpur told this correspondent that despite absence of government support, about 15 farmers in his village are cultivating orange.

He said, " H huge quantity of orange can be produced in Dinajpur and farmers can earn profit. But government departments concerned must come forward with technical as well as logistic support for this."

Azmol Hossen of Setabganj, who raised a small orange garden said

the soil of Thakurgaon , Dinajpur and Panchagoarh is very much suitable for cultivation of the highly nutritious fruit. He said the government's department concerned know this but unfortunately it did not take any steps to develop the potential sector.

A DAE official in Dinjpur said that the department informed higher authorities concerned and requested them to take steps to encourage farmers.

Citing the case of maize, the official said, once it (maize) was an unpopular crop in Bangladesh but now about one lakh maunds of maize is being produced in eight northern districts.

Orange cultivation can also be made popular in the region in the same way, he added.