Bunches of grapes, a foreign fruit, hang heavy from the vines, a sight you might think belonged abroad. But Kamruzzaman Pradhania, a young man from Chandpur, has succeeded, for the first time on the country's soil, in growing grapes commercially. He has planted grapes on just 20 decimals of land, and his collection now has 85 varieties of grape from 18 countries. With a good crop, he has already sold grapes on the market. Every day people come from the district, its upazilas and other parts of the country to see the orchard.

The juicy foreign fruit can be seen at Pradhania Agro in the Kalibhangti area on the Chandpur-Matlab Pennai road in Chandpur Sadar upazila. Green grapes hanging from bamboo trellises catch the eye of passers-by from afar. With a good yield, he has already marketed 50 kg from the orchard and is starting to see a profit.

"I started growing grapes as a hobby in 2021," said the entrepreneur Kamruzzaman Pradhania. "First a rooftop garden, then I will start growing grapes commercially on land. The 120 mother plants in my orchard have started flowering. I have already sold about 50 kg in the market, and altogether I expect a yield of 150 kg."

"If the vines are pruned in October-November, fruit comes in March-April, and there is another crop in winter," he said. "To beat unemployment, many people have taken seedlings from here and started growing grapes. People from different parts of the country are buying seedlings online, and many come to see for themselves. If the agriculture department supports me, I can grow grapes on a bigger scale."

Omar Faruk, who came from Faridganj, said: "For some time I had been watching videos of Kamruzzaman Pradhania's grape farming. Inspired, I came here and was amazed at how beautifully the grapes are hanging. Anyone who sees it will be overwhelmed. I will buy seedlings here to plant at home."

Agriculturist Mohammad Abu Taher, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Chandpur, said: "Grapes do well in loamy red soil, gravelly soil rich in organic fertiliser and alluvial hill soil. The land must be high, where water does not stand, and a spot that gets plenty of sunlight must be chosen. Grapes have yielded quite well in Chandpur's soil. If this kind of work is spread across the country, it will be possible to create new entrepreneurs."

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