Home ›› 03 May 2023 ›› Nation
Many people in Rajshahi including its vast Barind tract have made fortunes through dragon fruit farming during the last couple of years.
Farming of the high-value cash crop has brought economic development for many of the farmers as it's been judged as lucrative compared to other ones for the last couple of years.
Commercial farming of dragon fruit, a cactus species fruit, originally from Central America, and South America, and nowadays common in Southeast Asia and China is gaining popularity in the region gradually.
Asadul Islam Helal has exposed himself as a new successful entrepreneur by involving in dragon fruit farming in the Barind area.
A farmer of Bidirpur village under Godagari upazila, Helal had planted some dragon seedlings inspired by his long-lasting hobby around eight years back.
Later, he started farming dragon fruits, a delicious and high-valued but non-conventional fruit in the region, on four acres of land in 2019 commercially.
"I have to spend around Tk nine lakh for the farming on each acre of land," said Helal on Sunday, adding, around one and half years’ time is needed to get fruit since the planting of seedlings.
During the summer season, fruits are harvested from June to November. "I have already harvested and sold dragon fruits valued around Tk 16 lakh during the current season," said Helal with a smiling face.
Currently, he has become a job provider after leaving his institutional job earlier.
Shafiul Islam Mukta, a resident of Bidirpur village Godagari Upazila, said he has developed three dragon orchards on 52 bighas of land in Gogram and Matikata areas.
He earned Tk 27 lakh last year and has also sold a dragon at Tk 200 to 400 per piece based on size, quality and colour this season.
Relating to the production cost he said around Tk 2.60 lakh is required for dragon farming in one bigha of land.
