BSS, Rajshahi :
Rajshahi Fruit Research Station has, so far, innovated six new more fruit varieties through intensive field-level research during the last 20 years.
The varieties are: BARI Papaya-1, BARI Litchi-1, BARI Batabilebu-3, BARI Kul-1, BARI Kul-2 and BARI Kul-3, which have gained popularity everywhere in the country for the last couple of years in terms of production and farmers earning.
Principal Scientific Officer Dr Alim Uddin told BSS that the center began its journey on nine hectares of land in Binodpur area in the metropolis in 1976 as a sub-center of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI).
In addition to a senior scientific officer, four scientific officers and 23 officers-employees, some 20 labourers are working at the center.
Dr Alim said the station had first become successful after developing the BARI Papaya-1 in 1991 and the farmers are using the variety widely by virtue of its lucrative size, colour and market price.
At present, necessary research is progressing fast for development of new and high yielding varieties of batabilebu, malta, litchi, strawberry and banana, he added.
He said the center has earned around Taka 7.5 lakh after selling 14,000 saplings of various fruit trees in the last two fiscals. Besides, some 700 farmers were imparted training on planning, nursing and farming of fruit trees.
Horticulture Specialist Alim Uddin told the news agency that Rajshahi and its adjacent areas have been regarded as the country’s most prospective fruit producing region. Production of fruit is one of the major income-generating activities in the region, he added.
He said that people are becoming increasingly interested in horticulture and planting various fruit saplings around their homesteads or nearby open spaces.
This trend has created huge demand for saplings of fruit bearing and other trees in the area, he added. Fruit farming becomes most profitable than other crops in recent years bringing fortunes to thousands of farmers and commoners in the region during the past few years.
In terms of food and nutritive values green and ripe fruits are vital as these are enriched with enormous vitamin A, B, C, calcium and iron which are essential for human body irrespective of age and sex. So, the boosted up fruit farming has become helpful for the society as a whole.
Proper knowledge on climate change stressed
School and college level students need proper knowledge about the importance of biodiversity, natural resource conservation and climate change issues so that they can contribute to this field.
To this end, there should be time-fitting measures and institutional learning for them as there is no way but to natural resource conservation in the region particularly the vast Barind tract to face the adverse impact of climate change for the greater interests of new and future generation.
In the wake of abnormal declining of natural resources like native crop seeds, fish and birds species and other wildlife, conservation of natural resources has become indispensable for facing the adverse impacts of climate change, said Prof Dr Golam Sabbir Sattar of Geology and Mining Department of Rajshahi University.
“Role of Biodiversity Conservation in Protecting Environment should be our main slogan,” he added referring to evidence-based method to support natural resource conservation in the dried area and its prospects and challenges.
Obviously, we have to devise ways and means on how to cope with the adverse impact of climate change. Integrated approach has become an urgent need to mitigate the adverse impact, he said.
Rajshahi Fruit Research Station has, so far, innovated six new more fruit varieties through intensive field-level research during the last 20 years.
The varieties are: BARI Papaya-1, BARI Litchi-1, BARI Batabilebu-3, BARI Kul-1, BARI Kul-2 and BARI Kul-3, which have gained popularity everywhere in the country for the last couple of years in terms of production and farmers earning.
Principal Scientific Officer Dr Alim Uddin told BSS that the center began its journey on nine hectares of land in Binodpur area in the metropolis in 1976 as a sub-center of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI).
In addition to a senior scientific officer, four scientific officers and 23 officers-employees, some 20 labourers are working at the center.
Dr Alim said the station had first become successful after developing the BARI Papaya-1 in 1991 and the farmers are using the variety widely by virtue of its lucrative size, colour and market price.
At present, necessary research is progressing fast for development of new and high yielding varieties of batabilebu, malta, litchi, strawberry and banana, he added.
He said the center has earned around Taka 7.5 lakh after selling 14,000 saplings of various fruit trees in the last two fiscals. Besides, some 700 farmers were imparted training on planning, nursing and farming of fruit trees.
Horticulture Specialist Alim Uddin told the news agency that Rajshahi and its adjacent areas have been regarded as the country’s most prospective fruit producing region. Production of fruit is one of the major income-generating activities in the region, he added.
He said that people are becoming increasingly interested in horticulture and planting various fruit saplings around their homesteads or nearby open spaces.
This trend has created huge demand for saplings of fruit bearing and other trees in the area, he added. Fruit farming becomes most profitable than other crops in recent years bringing fortunes to thousands of farmers and commoners in the region during the past few years.
In terms of food and nutritive values green and ripe fruits are vital as these are enriched with enormous vitamin A, B, C, calcium and iron which are essential for human body irrespective of age and sex. So, the boosted up fruit farming has become helpful for the society as a whole.
Proper knowledge on climate change stressed
School and college level students need proper knowledge about the importance of biodiversity, natural resource conservation and climate change issues so that they can contribute to this field.
To this end, there should be time-fitting measures and institutional learning for them as there is no way but to natural resource conservation in the region particularly the vast Barind tract to face the adverse impact of climate change for the greater interests of new and future generation.
In the wake of abnormal declining of natural resources like native crop seeds, fish and birds species and other wildlife, conservation of natural resources has become indispensable for facing the adverse impacts of climate change, said Prof Dr Golam Sabbir Sattar of Geology and Mining Department of Rajshahi University.
“Role of Biodiversity Conservation in Protecting Environment should be our main slogan,” he added referring to evidence-based method to support natural resource conservation in the dried area and its prospects and challenges.
Obviously, we have to devise ways and means on how to cope with the adverse impact of climate change. Integrated approach has become an urgent need to mitigate the adverse impact, he said.
