BSS, Rangpur :
Cultivation of orange on commercial basis has become successful bringing fortune to many farmers and ushering in new prospect and era in the economy of the sub-Himalayan Panchagarh and Thakurgaon districts.
Hundreds of farmers and commoners have been cultivating orange in their orchards and homesteads since 2006 and the initiative has got stronger footage and further momentum now for its expanded farming on commercial basis.
Horticulture Specialist Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said commercial cultivation of orange began under the five-year term (2006-2011) Orange Development Project (ODP) in these two northern districts.
Presently, there are more than 3.20 lakh orange trees, including tender and fruit giving ones, in over 475 small, medium and large-scale orchards and homesteads on nearly 260 hectares of land in these districts.
The DAE under its ODP successfully expanded orange farming through producing and distributing saplings, nurturing old fruit- giving trees, farming in orchards, homesteads and exhibition plots till the project ended in June, 2011.
According to the DAE sources and farmers, a bumper production of orange is expected this season following excellent yield at initial harvesting stage now with lucrative price.
Under the ODP project, 34,888 orange trees were planted in 223 orchards and 15,000 farmers were provided training on orange farming in Panchagarh district alone where the common people and farmers have also planted more 1,56,000 orange trees so far.
The farmers are expected to produce 150 tonnes of orange in these two northern districts this year and the production might cross 650 tonnes next year as more tender trees will be ready for producing the fruit.
Talking to BSS, farmers Habib Pradhan of village Bamonpara and Salah Uddin of village Barobari under Sadar upazila of Panchagarh said they have been selling orange since 2011 and some 800 mature trees are giving production in their orchards this season.
Habib said he sold orange at Taka 54,000 last year and expects to sell the same at over Taka one lakh this year while Salah Uddin sold orange at Taka 50,000 last year and expects to sell the fruit at Taka one lakh this year.
Farmers Abdul Jalil of village Kholapara, Hamidul of Ambari, Abdul Matin of Boalmari, Saiful Islam of village Kamlapur and Jiten Chandra of village Kaharpara under Panchagarh Sadar upazila said they have been earning better profits through cultivating orange for the past eight to ten years.
Farmers Sazedur Rahman of village Zugikata under Atoari upazila, Mokhlesur of village Dangapara under Tentulia upazila, Achinta Kumar Barman of village Sarderpara under Boda upazila narrated their success in farming orange for the past eight years.
The farmers said orange production increases slowly but continuously in the 5 to 15 years old orange trees while remains steady in the 15 to 25 years old trees and start decreasing slowly in the 25 to 50 years old trees.
The orange growers can earn Taka 15,000 from 250 plants in one bigha land in the first harvest and Taka one lakh from the fourth or fifth harvests for 25 years onwards and even up to 50 years, they said.
Cultivation of orange on commercial basis has become successful bringing fortune to many farmers and ushering in new prospect and era in the economy of the sub-Himalayan Panchagarh and Thakurgaon districts.
Hundreds of farmers and commoners have been cultivating orange in their orchards and homesteads since 2006 and the initiative has got stronger footage and further momentum now for its expanded farming on commercial basis.
Horticulture Specialist Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said commercial cultivation of orange began under the five-year term (2006-2011) Orange Development Project (ODP) in these two northern districts.
Presently, there are more than 3.20 lakh orange trees, including tender and fruit giving ones, in over 475 small, medium and large-scale orchards and homesteads on nearly 260 hectares of land in these districts.
The DAE under its ODP successfully expanded orange farming through producing and distributing saplings, nurturing old fruit- giving trees, farming in orchards, homesteads and exhibition plots till the project ended in June, 2011.
According to the DAE sources and farmers, a bumper production of orange is expected this season following excellent yield at initial harvesting stage now with lucrative price.
Under the ODP project, 34,888 orange trees were planted in 223 orchards and 15,000 farmers were provided training on orange farming in Panchagarh district alone where the common people and farmers have also planted more 1,56,000 orange trees so far.
The farmers are expected to produce 150 tonnes of orange in these two northern districts this year and the production might cross 650 tonnes next year as more tender trees will be ready for producing the fruit.
Talking to BSS, farmers Habib Pradhan of village Bamonpara and Salah Uddin of village Barobari under Sadar upazila of Panchagarh said they have been selling orange since 2011 and some 800 mature trees are giving production in their orchards this season.
Habib said he sold orange at Taka 54,000 last year and expects to sell the same at over Taka one lakh this year while Salah Uddin sold orange at Taka 50,000 last year and expects to sell the fruit at Taka one lakh this year.
Farmers Abdul Jalil of village Kholapara, Hamidul of Ambari, Abdul Matin of Boalmari, Saiful Islam of village Kamlapur and Jiten Chandra of village Kaharpara under Panchagarh Sadar upazila said they have been earning better profits through cultivating orange for the past eight to ten years.
Farmers Sazedur Rahman of village Zugikata under Atoari upazila, Mokhlesur of village Dangapara under Tentulia upazila, Achinta Kumar Barman of village Sarderpara under Boda upazila narrated their success in farming orange for the past eight years.
The farmers said orange production increases slowly but continuously in the 5 to 15 years old orange trees while remains steady in the 15 to 25 years old trees and start decreasing slowly in the 25 to 50 years old trees.
The orange growers can earn Taka 15,000 from 250 plants in one bigha land in the first harvest and Taka one lakh from the fourth or fifth harvests for 25 years onwards and even up to 50 years, they said.
