When many young people were worried about an uncertain future during the Covid pandemic, Saikat Raihan Sakin of Barishal chose a different path. With a little money saved from private tuition and a strong interest in fruit growing, he started a small orchard beside his home. Over time that small venture has grown into a large nursery and mixed fruit orchard, which now earns him about Tk 5 lakh to Tk 7 lakh a year.

Sakin lives in Tilak village of Kashipur union in Barishal Sadar upazila, and his venture has become an inspiration in the area. Begun alongside his studies, it is not only a source of personal income but has also sparked the dream of entrepreneurship among many young people.

After his father died when Sakin was a child, the whole responsibility for the family fell on his mother. Her courage, encouragement and support in those hard times became his main strength. His mother and younger brother Sihab Hasan Sannin have stood by him throughout his journey as an entrepreneur.

Sakin completed an MBA in marketing at BM College in 2023. Instead of chasing a job, he built a nursery and mixed orchard on one acre of his family land. His orchard now holds more than 80 local and foreign mango varieties.

Walking into the orchard, one sees mango trees of every kind, with fruit of different colours, shapes and tastes: some long, some round or flat, some reddish, some green, and some trees hung with yellowish mangoes.

The foreign and high-value varieties in his collection include Banana Mango, Chakapat, Surjodim, Austin, BARI-4, Valencia Pride, American Palmer, Ambish, Pusa Surya and Arunima. Almost every tree is now bearing fruit.

Popular local varieties include Himsagar, Langra, Fazli, Amrapali, Gopalbhog, Khirsapat, Ashwina, Mallika, Katimon, Haribhanga, Ranipasand, Mohanbhog, Dilpasand, Kohitur, Surma Fazli and Bombai.

The orchard is not limited to mangoes. It holds saplings of about 70 foreign fruit species, including gumless jackfruit, red jamrul (wax apple), malta, rambutan, avocado, grapes, pomegranate, orange and apple. A special attraction is a gumless jackfruit that bears fruit on a tree only three feet tall.

Besides running his own orchard, Sakin encourages others to grow fruit. With his advice and help, more than 10 orchards have already been set up in different parts of Barishal, and many people have used his saplings to make rooftop gardens.

"During Covid I started a small garden as a hobby with my tuition money and slowly made it bigger," Sakin told Jagonews. "I have a special love for mangoes. Now people from different areas take saplings from me and make orchards. With planned fruit farming, it is easily possible to earn Tk 5 lakh to Tk 7 lakh a year."

"My aim is to prove that foreign fruits can be grown in Barishal's soil," he said. "With the right varieties, good saplings, regular care and planning, young people can become successful entrepreneurs instead of chasing jobs."

Local people say his orchard is now not just a nursery but a living example of success for young people, built on dreams, hard work and patience.

Uttam Bhowmik, agriculture officer of Barishal Sadar upazila, said sub-assistant agriculture officers have already looked into Sakin's orchard and will visit again to offer help and advice if needed.

Md Mamunur Rahman, additional deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Barishal, told Jagonews: "We help entrepreneurs like this with advice, technical support and access to farm credit. The necessary support will be arranged for Sakin's orchard too."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.