Guava farming has become blessings to many farmers as it has made them wealthy in the region including its vast Barind tract during the last couple of years.
The farmers after the best uses of modern and high yielding varieties and technologies have started contributing a lot towards making the region self-reliant in fruit production through boosting both acreage and yield of guava.
A silent revolution has happened in farming of high yielding varieties including Thai guava farming for its gradual rising demands and lucrative market price everywhere in the region at present.
Farmer Abdul Karim has cultivated Thai guava and he has achieved extraordinary success. Guava cultivation has made him financially self-sufficient.
Nurul Islam, another farmer of Parila Ramchandrapur area in Paba upazila, has already sold guava worth around Tk 300,000 and hoping of selling of more Taka 1.2 million from six bigha of land this season.
He said many farmers and unemployed people are now cultivating the variety because of its prospects and suitable land condition.
Nazrul Islam, another guava cultivator of village Palpur in Godagari upazila, said he has been attaining good profit by cultivating guava on commercial basis for the last several years.
He said, “If farmers use chemical fertilisers, they won’t get guava round the year and those will not look fresh. The organic method is the secret under successful guava farming.”
Dev Dulal Dhali, Additional Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension, said guava is supposed to be the main cash crop in the near future in the region as its topography and climate condition is very much suitable for this crop.
He said the crop is being cultivated on more than 5,500 hectares of land in the region of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore and Chapainawabganj districts while there are over 1,600 orchards of Thai guava at present.
DAE has given knowledge to the farmers about the cultivation process of the high yielding varieties.
Ali Hossain, a farmer at Shibpurhat area under Puthia upazila, said he cultivated Thai guava. At present, over 300 bighas of Thai guava gardens have been set up at Kakon Haat and Kadamshahar under Godagari upazila and Shibpurhat area in Puthia upazila.
A guava tree gives fruit for five or six years. A farmer can earn Taka 250,000 to 3 lakh from cultivating Thai guava in one bigha of land after meeting all expenditures.
Shariful Islam, a farmer of Gobindapara under Baghmara upazila, said that he has also started Thai guava cultivation for the first time this year, reports BSS.
Per kg Thai guava is being sold at Taka 70 to 130 in the market. Seeing the fair price, others farmers are becoming more interested in guava cultivation.
Dr Alim Uddin, Principal Scientific Officer of Regional Fruit Research Station, said Thai guava is more nutritious than Kazi guava. It is comparatively big in size and market value is higher than Kazi guava. Per kilogram of Thai Guava is now being sold at Taka 90 to Taka 120.
“We disseminate modern knowledge and technical support to the farmers to make farming profitable and sustainable,” he said, adding that many farmers became self-reliant through the guava farming.
The region has seen a revolution in guava farming. Farmers are now growing guava on vast tract of land during the last several years successfully.
Many of them have changed their fate by farming and trading guava in particular Thai variety in the region with expanding its farming every year.
Around 6,500 farm entrepreneurs are directly involved in Guava cultivation and most of these people are educated, said Dr Alim Uddin.