Malta cultivation on the bank of Moragang River at Hogoldanga (Notipota) village at Damurhuda upazila in Chuadanga has been catching eyes of common people of Chuadanga, Jhenidah and Meherpur districts during the last five years.
Shakhawat Hossain Babul, an agricultural entrepreneur, has cultivated Malta on 40 bighas of land at the village. About 4,000 Malta trees are on the plot of the land. Malta is in cover all trees.
Babul began to cultivate Malta in 2014 with planting 20 Malta saplings. At the time, his father asked him not to cultivate Malta, but he did not pay heed. At present, all family members are happy over success in Malta cultivation.
Babul said he visited Agriculture Research Institute at Khulna and found the Malta plant. He brought 20 Malta saplings from there. He is now cultivating variety- BARI 1.
He said that this area is right for producing Malta fruit. Some farmers and agro lovers come to him for taking advice for making Malta orchard and buy the varieties of Malta saplings from him.
Visiting the orchard of Bulbul, this correspondent found that a team of Malta lovers from Kamlapur PTI, led by Superintendent Mollah Shahiduzzaman, came to the orchard and bought Malta fruits.
Nasiruddin, a retired officer of Bangladesh Krishi Bank, told the Bangladesh Post that he came here to contact with Babul for making a Malta garden at Jibannagar upazila in the district.
Babul told Bangladesh Post that a total of 17 workers work in the garden permanently. According to him, a total of 8000 mounds of Malta were produced here this year. About Tk 16,80,000 is expected to earn by selling the Malta. It is being sold at Tk 140 per kg.
He said also said that students of educational institutes, farmers, agro lovers, unemployed youths, different organizations come to the garden for gathering knowledge and motivate to plant Malta. Now it turns into tourism spot.
The Malta produced here is sent to Dhaka and other parts of the country.
Shahin Rabby, sub assistant agriculture officer of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Chuadanga, said that Malta tress bear fruits in whole year. So farmers can sell it all the year to maintain their families. He also said farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs have taken under Malta cultivation on 100 bighas of land in the district.
Ali Hasan, DAE’s Deputy Director, said that the Malta is now popular fruit item in the district. So many farmers are eager to cultivate Malta fruit. Malta is now one of the cash crops in the area.
