Hundred of olive growers in the district are delighted over the high market price during the current season as newly-harvested olive has started appearing in the local market.
Sources said Sadar, Mirzapur, Modhupur and Shakhipur upazilas of the district are well-known for quality olive production and farmers in the areas are making a handsome profit this season.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Tangail, sources said some 139 hectares of land were brought under the cultivation of olive with the production target of 1,062 tonnes.
Traders from others districts have started visiting the four upazilas to purchase the produce from the growers directly at a wholesale price.
Sub-assistant agriculture officer of DAE Shariful Islam said olive cultivators of the district have achieved a bumper production of olive and fair prices have also brought smile on the faces of them.
The official said olive cultivation is popular in the district for repeated bumper yield and favourable weather and soil.
Moreover, high market demand encourages the farmers to produce the item commercially.
Olive is selling at Tk 40 to Tk 50 per kg in the retail market and Tk 1,200 to Tk 1,400 per mound in the wholesale market.
Our correspondent from Rangpur adds: Olive growers in different areas under Rangpur division are jubilant to see a plentiful yield of the fruit during the current season.
According to the agriculturists, the soil of many areas including Rangpur, Nilphamari, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, and Panchagarh districts of the division are suitable for its farming.
The local cultivators claim that proper training and financial and technical assistances can pave way for large-scale commercial production of the fruit across the region.
Nurunnabi, an olive grower at Chikli Chowdhurypara village of Alampur union Taraganj upazila under Rangpur said that he has been successfully cultivating olive in his homestead for the last 15 years and selling those at good prices.
Presently, he has 10 olive trees which are full of fruits. He has already started harvesting of his produce during this season and so far earned Tk 12,000 from its sale.
Deviganj upazila of Panchagarh district under Rangpur division is well-known for olive farming. The fruit is being cultivated abundantly in both orchards and homesteads in the upazila.
A good number of olive orchards have so far been set up in the upazila.
Per day around 500 maunds of olive are sold in different markets across the upazila, sources said. Per kg olive is sold at Tk 15 to Tk 20, sources further said.
Babul Mia, an olive grower of Khagrabari area under the upazila, said he planted some 75 plants of olive in his orchard four years ago.
Most of the plants have been replete with fruits this year, he has begun harvesting those. He also expressed satisfaction over the yield of the fruit.
Witnessing his success, many people have engaged themselves in its cultivation, he also said. A good number of people of the upazila have become able to change their financial condition through olive cultivation in recent years, he added.
Khandaker Md Mesbahul Islam, Horticulture Specialist of the DAE said high land is better than low land for olive farming. Usually, olive plants get replete with flowers during the months of March to April and its harvest begins between September to October, he also said. A full- grown olive tree can produce around 200- 250 kg fruits annually. Generally olive plants are not severely attacked by pest or disease, he added.
DAE sources said owing to good yield as well as satisfactory profit the peasants are expanding farming of different varieties of fruits including olive on commercial basis across eight districts under the division every year.
The department is providing adequate assistances to the farmers for enhancing fruit farming in order to improve socio-economic and nutritional conditions of the people in the region, sources added.
Our roving correspondent from Sirajganj adds: Olive cultivation has changed financial condition to many grassroots farmers in the vast Barind region.
Sources said olive cultivation is popular among the growers in Rajshahi and Bogura agri-zone.
The farming is increasing across the region for its high demand.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Rajshahi zone, olive is cultivated in some 77.5 hectares of land in Naogaon, some 22 hectares in Natore, 13 hectares in Chapainawabganj and some 37 hectares of land in Rajshahi district this season.
Besides, it is cultivated on 109 hectares of land in Sirajganj, over 13 hectares in Pabna, 27 hectares in Joypurhat and 18 hectares in Bogura district.
Growers' sources said profit over Tk 50,000 to Tk 60,000 can be made by growing olive in a bigha of land.
In a recent visit in different kitchen markets in Natore district this correspondent found each maund of olive is being sold at Tk 4,500 to Tk 4,800 in the retail market while Tk 3,800 to Tk 4,000 in the wholesale market.
Farmer Hamudul Islam of Panchbibi upazila in Joypurhat said he had planted some olive saplings at his homestead over the last five years ago on experimental basis.
He said he got a good production from trees this year.
Deputy Director of DAE of Sirajganj Md Arshad Ali said olive farmers in the vast Barind tract get good production and fair market prices.
The department encourages the grassroots farmers to bring more land under the production of olive for more profit.