Gournadi Correspondent
Among other guidelines of the Department of Health of Bangladesh with the World Health Organization for Corona Prevention, great importance has been given to diet and to take vitamin C every day. As vitamin C can fight off many types of viruses and increase immunity, demand of lemon increased significantly among people. During the crisis of vitamin C filled fruit, Siraj Uddin a farmer from Gournadi upazila in Barishal came forward to help people by farming several variants of lemon.
In the current situation in Covid-19 pandemic, despite the huge appreciation of lemons, the supply of this fruit is less than the market demand. As a result, the price of lemon in the market is quite high.
Siraj Uddin of Lakshankathi village in Gournadi upazila planted more than 500 trees of lemon in his farm. He currently is making a good profit by selling lemon at the current price. However, the farmer’s comment is that there is no need to make extra profit on lemons and government should make the price lower of this fruit so that people of all walks of lives can afford to buy lemon.
Correspondent found that the lemon orchard of Siraj can be seen from a distance in the village of Lakshankathi. Entering the garden, one can see lemons hanging on all the branches. It is almost that every tree in the garden has more lemons than leaves.
Siraj Uddin, the owner of the lemon orchard, said from the beginning he thought he would do something that would benefit people. From that thought, he has been cultivating different varieties of lemons in three orchards for about 20 years. He has become self-sufficient in a very short time by cultivating lemons.
At present, in the Corona situation, the price is quite high as the import of lemon in the market has decreased a lot. But Siraj is selling lemons at the previous price so that people can stay healthy without expecting any extra profit. Lemons from his field are meeting the demand in the local markets. He also urges other farmers to sell lemon at moderate price in this pandemic.
Gournadi Upazila Agriculture Officer Md. Mamunur Rahman said lemon has the ability to resist many diseases of the human body. As a result, one should have lemon in the daily diet. According to agriculture officials, there is not much cost in cultivating lemons. Properly covered, it will withstand a great deal of adverse conditions.
Dr Shahnaz Islam Ruby, a lecturer at Gournadi Amena Begum Homoeo Medical College, said lemons are said to be a great source of vitamin C. Vitamin C has the ability to prevent various diseases. Vitamin C can play an important role in keeping the body healthy.
