Our Correspondent :
Farmers who cultivated Papaya in fallow lands in Sreemangal upazila in Sylhet’s Moulvibazar district are enjoying success thanks to the bumper yields and reasonable market price. They now hope to expand cultivation with support from the government. Favourable weather conditions and the availability of relatively cheap fertilisers led to a huge harvest this season, according to farmers.
Farmer Ali Hossain Liton in Khoajpur village of Sindurkhan Union has succeeded in cultivating papaya in Srimangal of Moulvibazar. This is the first time he has cultivated hybrid Babu Variety of papaya in one bigha of land. The yield has been very good. The price is also good. Other farmers in the area are also encouraged to see the papaya crop in his garden.
He said, this time planted hybrid Babu Variety of papaya on one bigha of land along with other vegetables. The tree bears flowers and fruits in the first week of May. At the end of July, it becomes suitable to grow papaya from the tree.
He said, I already sold about 1,200 kg of papaya. He has so far sold his papaya at Tk 25,200 at Tk 21 per kg. In this way he will be able to sell papaya from the tree for eight consecutive months. After all, it will sell for around one lakh taka. And to cultivate papaya in one bigha of land has cost him only 6 thousand taka.
He said, it is known that farmers will be able to cultivate Babu Variety of papaya throughout the year. Properly covered, it will withstand a great deal of adverse conditions. This variety of papaya can be cultivated in the Doash soil field which has facilities for drainage and irrigation. It takes only 11.55 grams of seed per bigha of land. It can be marketed in both raw and cooked form. The sweetness of ripe papaya is 13 to 14 percent. Its shell is yellow in color and thickness 3 to 4 cm.
If you cultivate this papaya, you don’t have to give much pesticide to the tree. It is a tolerant variety of Yellow Mojahex virus.
Ali Hossain Liton, a farmer said, “I grew papaya this time. I did not expect such a good yield in the first year. I am very happy to see the yield. The price is also getting better. Other farmers are also showing interest.
With help from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Liton ‘s initiative has become a success story that other farmers in the region are now trying to emulate, according to the DAE office in Moulvibazar.
As such, the DAE is considering whether to encourage cultivation of these high yielding papaya seeds in other upazilas in the district.
“Other than their striking appearance, these varieties papaya taste as sweet as honey,” Liton said.
Besides, they also fetch good prices in the market, he added.
Bidhan Das, another resident of the same area said, that papaya is a profitable crop if it can be cultivated well. We are farmers will benefit if we can cultivate properly. ‘
Sajjad Mia, a fellow farmer who visited the farm, said this variety was as beautiful to look at as it was delicious to eat.
Considering the widespread success of this farm, many others now desire to cultivate papaya in the future, he added.
Another farmer Shipon Mia said it was nice to see papaya being grown in the fellow field.
Abdul Kuddus, a trader of ripe papaya at Bandarbazar area n Sylhet city said, the demand for ripe papaya is very low during winter, but its demand as a vegetable remains all year round.
Srimangal Upazila Agriculture Officer Nilufar Yasmin Monalisa Sweety said the cultivation of hybrid varieties of papaya has increased in the upazila. Farmers are benefiting in a short time by cultivating hybrid babu. The real proof of which is Liton. Seeing him, many farmers have become interested in papaya cultivation.
She also said that the agriculture department is imparting various trainings to the papaya farmers including dealing with the virus.
Kazi Lutful Bari, deputy director of the DAE office in Moulvibazar said, it is possible to solve many unemployment problems of the country by cultivating papaya in this technology in the massive assembly with the help of government sponsorship including financial assistance or loan on easy terms.
If educated unemployed youths come forward to cultivate papaya, they will undoubtedly benefit as well as the farmers of the area hope that they will be able to free themselves and the country from the curse of unemployment.
Dilip Kumar Adhikari, additional director of the DAE office in Sylhet, said, papaya contains a lot of nutrients. All kinds of cooperation is being given to increase the interest of farmers in papaya cultivation. Seeing Liton, many people have become interested in papaya cultivation.
We are in constant touch with the Upazila Agriculture Office and have been providing all kinds of assistance as required. If the unemployed youth come forward to cultivate papaya, we are ready to cooperate with them in all possible ways, he added.
