Rezaul Karim, a resident of Mushuddi Union at Dhanbari in Tangail, has become financially solvent through year-round moringa farming.
Moringa, locally known as Sajna, is mainly a winter vegetable, but farmers of Tangail’s Dhanbari have started cultivating the year-round variety of moringa commercially following the path of Rezaul Karim.
Therefore, moringa is becoming a boon for its grower as year-round moringa has a high demand and price in the area, according to local sources.
For the first time, the high-yielding, year-round ‘Three-Star’ variety of moringa cultivation has begun in Dhanbari Upazila of Tangail commercially. Through this initiative, Tangail people will get the moringa, rich in herbs and nutrients, in all seasons.
Agricultural entrepreneur Rezaul Karim has started cultivating moringa on 40 decimals of land throughout the year.
Rezaul Karim said, “I have started cultivating moringa because it has demand and price in the market. After eight months of planting the sapling, bunches of the trees can be seen with moringa. There is almost no pest or production cost. The maximum cost for cultivating moringa on one bigha of land is Tk 20,000. The wholesalers are buying it from the orchard at Tk 100-110 per kilogramme.”
He further said, “The garden is being maintained by the family. I hope for a bumper harvest in the first attempt. The average lifespan of a moringa tree is more than 10 to 12 years.”
According to sources from the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) and the Horticulture Office in Dhanbari Upazila, the year-round moringa trees grow quickly and start producing moringa seven to eight months after planting the saplings. Moringa stalks can be harvested throughout the year and require minimal care.
The ‘Three-Star’ variety moringa is also very tasty. A mature tree can produce more than 1,500 moringa stalks, and it takes 10 to 12 drumsticks to make one kilogramme.
The sources added that moringa saplings can be easily produced. Around 90-100 saplings can be planted on one bigha (30 decimal) of land. The agriculture department is encouraging farmers to increase the cultivation of this improved variety of moringa through various field programmes.
To encourage farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs, a moringa ‘Mother orchard’ has been established, according to horticulturist Md Russell Parvez Tamal at the Dhanbari Horticulture Center, Tangail.
Russell Parvez said that the special feature of this new variety of moringa is its year-round production capability. This variety was released through a selection process. There is a high demand for moringa throughout the year in the country, and there are ample opportunities for its commercial cultivation.
Masudur Rahman, the agricultural officer of Dhanbari Upazila, Tangail, said, “Rezaul Karim has started the year-round cultivation of this variety moringa for the first time. It is a superfood, and the moringa leaves are also very beneficial for the human body.”
“Senior officials from the DAE have already visited the orchard. If any farmer or agricultural entrepreneur wants to cultivate this variety of moringa, the DAE will provide all kinds of support,” he said.
