Md. Mosabbir Ali, Kulaura (M’bazar) :
Orange growers in the Moulvibazar district are facing huge losses as the fruits are being rotten and dropped from the trees due to lack of favourable weather this season .
Anisur Rahman, Assistant Meteorologist of Srimangal weather monitoring office, told this correspondent that temperature was recorded at 23.6 degrees Celsius on 1st October to 11th October on 2016 and 24 degrees Celsius was recorded in current year on the same time. I have to face huge losses due to dropping of fruits for hot weather , said Abdus Sahid, a resident and orange farmer of Suknacherra village under Juri Upazila.
He said, I sold one acre land of my orange trees fruits Tk 55,000 last year but this year I sold only Tk. 30,000 .
Farid Uddin, another farmer of Kochurgul village under Juri Upazila said, colour is not coming yet for late cold and it is very bitter. He said, I sale it last year with sweet and colourful.
Not only Abdus Sahid and Farid Uddin, most of the orange farmers are on the same condition in the Moulvibazar. As such, farmers always remain worried about getting back their investment.
Azir Uddin, a orange trader in Suknacherra area in Juri Upazila said, I was selling orange for 25 years as a whole seller . Orange farming is profitable than many other crops if it’s grown properly. It has tremendous demand at home and abroad for its quality and flavour and the demand is increasing day by day. The disease, marked by dropping of fruits, is spreading rapidly amid high sunlight and no moisture. He said, I sell per orange at Tk. 12-15 in last year but this year I am selling it only Tk. 7-9 on the same time.
According to Juri’s agriculture officials, the upazila hosts 415 orange orchards across its six unions. Total upazila production has risen from 145 tonnes in 2014-15 to 300 tonnes in the 2015-16 fiscal year.
During this correspondent’s recent visit to different orange plantations in Suknacherra and Kochurgul village in Juri Upazila and found farmers were preparing Orange for selling.
Debol Sarkar, Agricultural officer in Juri Upazila told this correspondent, Orange is locally known as Komla. Heavy hot weather damages the soil, making it more difficult for Orange especially in hilly areas. As a result the fruit become brittle and crop quality is reduced.”
Orange is a shed loving trees. In this cause its need to shed. But if cold not coming yet. It faces setback and fruit seen like sun burn. He said, we have about 93 hectares devoted to orchards in the Juri Upazila.
Mohammad Shahjahan, Deputy Director of DAE, Moulvibazar said, we cultivated 99 hectares land in my district. Sayed Ahmed, Meteorologist of weather department in Sylhet office told this correspondent, we were passing this time generally with cold. But this year still in hot. It’s effect in our Robi crops. In this cause summers crops face trouble.
Dr. Md. Sharaf Uddin, Chairman of Agro forestry and Environmental science department in Sylhet Agricultural University told this correspondent, the reasons behind the farmers’ apathy to the Orange cultivation include unfavourable weather.
Beneficial insects are also facing trouble in adverse weather. In this cause orange fruit face setback as per proper fertilization and climate change, he added.
