Rustam Ali is 95 and still goes out to his papaya orchard every morning. On about one and a half acres of land he has taken on contract at Amtali-Nimtali, in Sadar union of Barguna Sadar upazila, he has planted some 350 seedlings of the local Shahi papaya variety, and the trees have begun to bear fruit.
He straightens trees that lean, clears weeds from around their bases and checks which fruit is ripe. He picks the papayas himself and takes them to Barguna market. His weekly net profit is Tk 2,000 to 2,500, and he aims to sell at least Tk 200,000 worth of papaya from the orchard this season.
Work keeps both body and mind well, Rustam Ali says; he has grown papaya for several years. His advice to young people is not to sit idle but to farm and earn for themselves.
His son, Habul Hawlader, says his father built the orchard by his own effort and that it is an extra source of income for the family. Neighbours including Momena, Aminuddin and Rubel say that watching him has led them to start small trial plots at home.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension in Barguna, vegetable and fruit farming still lags in the district. Papaya is grown on 214 hectares there this financial year, with a production target of 5,100 tonnes.
CM Rezaul Karim, additional deputy director of the department in Barguna, said Rustam Ali's papaya farming had come to the department's notice and that he would be given farming advice and the support he needs.
The report was published by Agri Barta; the agriculture officer's comments were given to Bangladesh Pratidin.
Photo: Salim Khandoker / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Agri Barta
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