NATORE, Jan 19: A good number of plum cultivators of Gurudaspur upazila in Natore district are happy over bumper output and fair market price this season.
Meanwhile, the cultivation of Baukul, Thai plum, Apple plum, coconut plum, and China plum are getting popular in many areas of the upazila. Hundreds of growers are making good profit from the sale of the fruit in recent years across the region.
The cultivation of the fruit is expanding fast across the area as it is proved to the peasant as more profitable and its production cost is less than that of many other crops or fruits, said deputy director of DAE Rafiqul Islam.
Growers are farming the fruit abundantly in Muradpur, and its adjacent area for the last few years with assistance of local agriculture officers. This year the growers of the fruit in different areas under the region are witnessing a good yield of the tasty fruit.
The soil as well as environment of many areas of the region is quite suitable for its farming every season. The farmers are cultivating the fruit in their homestead as well as orchard for many years and selling those at a good price.
Joynal Uddin, an apple plum grower at Mahmudpur village under Gurudaspur upazila said he has been successfully cultivating the fruit in his land for the last three years on five bighas of land. He said, he is selling those at Tk 30 to 40 to the wholesaler while Tk 44 to 50 in the retail markets.
During a recent visit at Nazirpur, Mollarbattola, Mollabazar, Chachkair, and Mahmudpur area the correspondent found the wholesalers from the different district are visiting the kitchen market from very early in the morning to purchase plums from the farmers directly.
Seeing the success of Baukul, Thai plum, Apple plum, coconut plum, and China plum, many people have engaged themselves in its cultivation. Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has advised the farmers to cultivate the fruit abundantly.
Farmers are expecting to make over Tk 0.5 to 0.6 million growing plum from a hectare of land in the region against Tk 50 to 90 thousand production cost. They can grow over 50 maunds of yield from a bigha of land.
Farmer Liton Pramanik under the district said that he has cultivated over 500 saplings of Baukul in his 33 decimal orchards.
He has already begun harvesting the fruit from last week in a full swing, he added.
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Plum cultivators happy with output, fair price in Natore
Roving Correspondent | Published: January 19, 2019 20:26:04
Farmers harvesting plums from a orchard at Mahmuspur village under Gurudaspur upazila of Natore district — FE Photo
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