Commercial coffee farming begins in Sylhet

Due to vast natural resources and emerging metropolitan, Sylhet is a major economic hub of the country. The hilly terrain of it has long been famous for having the country’s oldest and largest tea gardens and for growing juicy citrus fruits like pineapples, oranges, Shatkora and Jara lemons.

Now, the cultivation of Robusta coffee has become popular with the assistance of the authorities and researchers.

Sources said the first commercial coffee farm in the district was established at Kadmarsul village in Amura union of Golapganj upazila.

The farm consists of 3,500 coffee plants on 50 bighas of land. The plants are expected to bear fruit within the next six months.

Currently, coffee is being cultivated alongside pineapple using a mixed fruit cultivation method. However, it is expected to be turned into a full-fledged coffee plantation in the near future.

Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) sources said the project has been undertaken to protect the hillocks, cultivate uncultivated land, create agricultural entrepreneurs and increase the production of high-value crops.

Meanwhile, a cafe is being built next to the coffee garden to give people a taste of fresh coffee. A boathouse is also being built by the cafe beside a lake so visitors can enjoy their coffee while riding a boat.

Expatriate Syed Masum Ahmed started cultivating coffee on a small scale on 50 bighas of land at first. Later he expanded his farm after receiving seedlings from the upazila DAE office as incentives to cultivate uncultivated hillock land area.

The farm was given 250 coffee plants from the upazila DAE office at first and then later 1,126 more. The plantation authorities themselves planted 2,000 coffee trees.

According to official sources, the upazila DAE office will give 1,126 more plants to the farm. The seedlings planted in the first phase will bear fruits in the next few months, said Abu Sufian, manager of the garden.

According to the upazila DAE sources, there are several factors to be considered in cultivating crops in hilly areas. Firstly, the soil of the hills is dry and becomes droughty after the rainy season. Therefore, trees with long roots are ideal for cultivation in these areas. Deep-rooted plants can easily hold onto the soil on hilly slopes.

Secondly, as movement is restricted on hilly slopes, it is difficult to take care of saplings constantly. Therefore, long-surviving plants that can be harvested for more than a decade are more suitable for plantation.

Coffee plants are usually medium-sized with long roots. It grows 8 to 10 feet tall, almost like a tea tree, and bears fruit for 50 to 60 years.

Golapganj Coffee Garden manager Abu Sufian said the plantation is a private initiative developed further with the help of the upazila DAE office.

“Coffee plants bear fruit within 2.5 to 3 years and can bear fruit for up to 60 years. The upazila agriculture office is providing all kinds of support including providing seedlings and constant advice,” he said, plans of expanding the venture are currently underway.

He further added that the owner of the garden Syed Masum Ahmed constantly checks up on his venture from abroad to ensure everything is running smoothly.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Mohammad Anisuzzaman said, “This garden can be a starting point for bringing fallow land under cultivation, increasing Sylhet’s crop cultivation, hillock conservation, hillside collapse prevention, and creating entrepreneurs. Our office is providing them support and advice as per needed.”

Sylhet DAE Divisional Deputy Director Kazi Mujibur Rahman said increasing the cultivation of high-value crops is on the government’s priority list.

“Coffee is a high-value product. Spreading coffee cultivation in the hilly areas of Sylhet has many advantages. This is Sylhet’s first coffee garden, but we expect more people to come forward and begin coffee cultivation,” he said.