Orange cultivation has started on plain lands in Pabna's Chatmohar upazila adjacent to Chalanbeel.
Not just oranges, in addition to conventional fruit-crops, dragon, squash, capsicum and malta are also being cultivated on commercial basis in the area.
Rashedul Islam Bakul, 43, chairman of Mulgram Union Parishad, is cultivating these crops on 32 Bighas of land in Sahapur village in the union under Chatmohar upazila. He has leased this 32 Bighas of land for fifteen years and built a huge farm.
Visiting the farm it was seen that rows of dragon trees are tied with cement poles and underneath that squashes are being cultivated in mulching method. Among the orange and malta trees, papaya and tomato are being cultivated as companion. Along with Mangoes of different varieties and plums, lemon trees have been planted on all four sides of the land. Meanwhile, a shed has bee set up on the queues of capsicum tree.
Although his full name is Md. Rashedul Islam Bakul, everyone in the area knows him as Bakul Chairman. He is the son of late Belayet Ali Prang of Santoshpur village under Mulgram union. The use of chemical fertilizers in large quantities in agriculture and our import dependence for fruits and crops made him frustrated. He became involved in agriculture to ensure proper use of land as directed by the Prime Minister.
Rashedul Islam Bakul said, he started the farm three months ago. So far, he has planted 650 Bari-1 Malta, 400 Darjeeling orange, 300 Chinese orange, 300 Thai Katimon mangoes, 100 banana mangoes, 100 kiwai mangoes, 1,000 Bari-4 guavas, 500 Australian plums, 1,000 dragon fruits, 800 papaya trees, 1,600 Chinese lemon trees, 1,500 Thai lemons, sweet pumpkin, cucumber, gourd, Indian chilies and Bogura chilies in his farm.
“I have already invested Tk 30 lakh including land lease. I want to convert the farm into a 100 Bigha farm. There are 30 people currently working in the farm, so these thirty families are benefiting from this farm. In future I plan to employ 100 people in the farm to help more people through this initiative”, he added.
He further said, he is trying to produce organic, unadulterated fruits and vegetables, so he is using mostly organic fertilizers along with a small amount of chemical fertilizers. He plans to encourage rural farmers into adapting to modern agriculture. He is collecting saplings and seeds from different parts of the country to farm more native fruits along with foreign fruits.
He said, “The allowance I get as a chairman is not very high. If you want to earn money from this position, you have to kick the poor in the stomach. I don't want to do that. So after thinking a lot, I got involved in agriculture with the aim of earning in the right way. I want to contribute to agriculture as well as help the residents of my union through this”.
Chatmohar Upazila Agriculture Officer AA Masum Billah said, “I have visited the farm. Undoubtedly this is a good initiative. Chemicals are used to prevent the imported malta and oranges from decaying so, they pose a huge health risk. If these fruits are produced in Chatmohar, it will be available at a lower price as well as be more healthy. It will help to meet the nutritional needs and meet the vitamin deficiency”.
Seeing this farm, the owners of high lands will be motivated to set up such agricultural farms too. Several people have been employed in this farm and become economically solvent. Overall, his digital farming system will help keep the union's economy afloat, the Agriculture Officer added.
