BSS, Narsingdi :
A number of farmers specially unemployed educated youths of Belabo upazila in the district have started farming date of Saudi Arabia commercially due to its economic prospect.
Tajul Islam, of Char Kasim Nagar village under Binnabaid union of the upazila, first started farming of date plum trees in his homestead garden collecting saplings and seeds from Saudi Arabia in 2014.
“I was working in a date plum trees garden in Saudi Arabia and then I thought for having a same garden in my homestead garden at Belabo”. He said.
In 2014 Tajul returned his home collecting three saplings and huge seeds of date plum trees.
Tajul planted the three saplings in his homestead garden. Of the three trees, one tree bearing fruits and he began harvesting fruits from August this year.
He said he has so far harvesting 10 kg of date from one tree and hope to getting more 20 kg fruits from the tree this season.
Tajul in the meantime grow more date plum saplings from his collected seeds and changed his lot by selling the saplings to his upazilas and others upazilas at a rate of each sapling Tk 1000 to 1500.
He also planted over 250 saplings on his home stead garden and other lands. He expressed his satisfaction over the farming of the fruit.
Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Narsingdi, Latafat Hossain said the fruit is more profitable as it has great demand in the local markets of the country. The fruit contains huge nutrition vitamin and mineral.
The DAE will provide all the necessary helps to the farmers for farming the date plum saplings.
