M.A. Awal, Narsingdi :
Cultivation of Calombo lemon is ringing fortune for farmers and gaining popularity in the district due to economic prospect of the crops. A number of farmers had started small scale cultivation of Calombo lemon few years back on experimental basis in four upazilas of the district and achieved remarkable success. Their successes encourage many others to cultivate and raise orchards of the juicy and extraordinary flavor fruit.
Seeing the interest of the farmers and found suitable soil for Calombo lemon cultivation, the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in 2012 took a programme to cultivate export quality lemon in four upazilas of the district. The upazilas are Shibpur, Belabo, Monohardi and Raipura. Under the program a total of 50 new orchards of Calombo lemon (each orchard spread one bigha) were set up in the four upazilas of the district.
The department supplied 160 sapling of Calombo lemon to each grower of the orchards and imparted them training on producing quality lemon. Besides some farmers in different areas of the district raised a number of orchards by their own initiative and they are at present harvesting good quality lemon from their orchards. April and May are the best season of harvesting Calombo lemon.
According to DAE Narsingdi, farmers in four upazilas of the district at present cultivating Calombo lemon in 1180 orchards on 300 hectares of land. This year they have so far produced over 5200 metric tones of lemon in the district.
Khandaker Mahabub at Dattargoan village under Shibpur upazila of the district started lemon cultivation on 30 decimals lands in 2003. He succeeded in cultivation the Calombo lemon and gradually raised garden by planting 800 saplings on 120 decimals of land. This year he got an excellent production from his gardens.
He expressed his satisfaction for earned Taka 3,00,000 selling the lemon this season. Farmer Babul Chowdhury of Lakshimipur village under Raipura upazila of the district also narrated his successful story cultivating the Calambo lemon in his 300 decimals land. He said this year so far he earned Taka 7,00,000 by selling lemon from his garden.
Farmer Babul Chowdhury of Baluakandi village under Raipura upazila also narrated his successful story cultivation the Kalambo lemon in his 16 bigha s lannd. He said this year he is getting an excellent production from his garden. He expressed hs satisfaction that for so far earned Tk3,0000 and expect to earn over Tk 2,00000 the rest days of the season.
