Home ›› 28 May 2022 ›› Nation
Dr Abu Bakar Siddique Prince, a university professor-turned-farmer who recently made headlines after being photographed selling vegetables at a local market in Mymensingh, has been a long-time inspiration to many local entrepreneurs in his area.
Dr Prince, an assistant professor at Trust University Barishal and the head of the marketing department there, has made a name for himself as a successful agricultural entrepreneur in Mymensingh’s Fulbari upazila.
He began farming as a hobby and is now commercially cultivating a variety of fruits and vegetables, but his main cash crop is dragon fruit, which has earned him the nickname ‘Dragon Prince’.
Every year, his farm produces around 200 tonnes of fruit, which sells for around Tk 1 crore, according to the professor.
Mymensingh Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Deputy Director Md Touhiduzzaman said the involvement of literate men like Dr Prince in agriculture serves as an example to the rest of the district’s entrepreneurs.
Besides, the produce grown on this farm contributes to the country’s foodgrain production.
“He has made a quick name for himself by growing organic fruits and vegetables. If he needs any kind of advice or cooperation, the DAE will be there to help him,” the official said.
Inspired by the professor, a large number of local youths have built similar farms.
Md Rahim, an honours graduate from the same area, is one of them who has established his own malta farm using saplings from Dr Prince.
“Dr Prince has taught us how to plan commercial fruit orchards or the adjacent lands of our paddy farms,” said another local farmer Salam Kabir.
Dr Prince’s farm also attracts new entrepreneurs from the surrounding districts seeking gardening advice.
His farm ‘Kishan Somonnito Krishi Udyog’ started its journey in 2014 on seven acres of land in Hatilet village in Rangamatia union, 15 km from Fulbaria upazila of Mymensingh.
He takes six months off from work every year to work on his farm. Dr Prince was inspired by his professors in India, who also worked on their own farms.
There are currently 6,000 plants of different species in his fruit orchard. Mahalisa, Kiujai, Brunei King, Bau-4, Kachamitha, Taiwa Green, Katimon, Palmar, and Mallika are just a few of the ten mango species available.
Lychee, Egyptian Custard Apple, Strawberry, Cherry, Thai Guava, Lemon, Grapefruit, Rambai, Malta, Sapodilla, Wood Apple, Amla, Dewa, Fig, Almond, Champoo, Thai Grapefruit, and Banana are some of the other fruit plants.
In the orchard, there is also a plant nursery with 5,000 local and foreign fruit saplings.
Dr Prince’s ancestral home is in Rajapur of Barishal’s Jhalokati upazila. His father was an army officer, and so he grew up with his family in the Army Colony in Dhaka.
He graduated from the National University in 2002. He then completed his MBA in agribusiness from American International University Bangladesh (AIUB) in 2006. He then got his doctorate under the supervision of Dr Haripoda Bhattacharjee from the University of Dhaka.
“Organic, safe, and non-toxic fruit planting is my goal. Instead of chemical fertilisers in the garden, we use worms and organic fertilisers,” Dr Prince said.
His advice to the youth was that if someone wants to be a successful agri-entrepreneur and survive the market, they must first invest time and, if necessary, sell their own products.
He believes there is nothing shameful about selling your harvest in the marketplace. Foregoing middleman can also be beneficial for the farmers.
His farm employs 10 to 15 full-time employees. If they are short-staffed during harvest season, he also hires day labourers. About Tk 30 lakh goes to the workers’ salary per year.
Prince said many young entrepreneurs give up on their businesses due to financial crises and the unavailability of government loans.
“I’d like to establish a fund to assist those who are financially disadvantaged.” Here, new entrepreneurs can get easy loans,” he said.
