Strawberries, a foreign fruit, are now being grown in Burichang, Cumilla. A mother named Hanufa took up the crop so her child could eat the fruit. Her trial planting has succeeded, and after meeting her family's needs she has also sold strawberries to people nearby.

In a shaded spot beside her house, the strawberries are glowing with colour, and many villagers are crowding in to see and taste them. This was the scene in West Singha village in Burichang.

Hanufa Akter is the wife of Abdur Rouf, a migrant worker abroad, from West Singha village. On 7 decimals of shaded, raised land on the west side of her house she has grown strawberries on a trial basis, and the plot is bright with the red fruit. Hanufa was seen picking strawberries into a bowl while neighbourhood children gathered beside the plot, and she handed them one or two each. Buyers are purchasing from the field at Tk 600 a kg.

Hanufa Akter said: "My child wanted to eat strawberries. When I went to buy them at the market, I saw they were expensive. That's when I wanted to grow them myself." She told sub-assistant agriculture officer Monowara Begum of her interest, and the officer took it seriously and got her seedlings from Cumilla Horticulture.

Her husband abroad and her father-in-law, Golam Mostafa, have helped her from the start. She planted 7 decimals as a trial and the yield was good. As it is the first time the fruit has been grown in the area, people from nearby come to have a look. After meeting the needs of her family and relatives, she has already sold about 18-20 kg. She hopes to grow strawberries on 30 decimals in future.

Burichang upazila agriculture officer Afrina Akter said: "Hanufa Akter is an enterprising woman farmer with a keen interest in new crops. When she told me she wanted to grow strawberries, the agriculture department gave her every kind of support. This was a trial. Hanufa has told us she will farm them commercially in future."

Aiub Mahmud, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Cumilla, said: "Strawberry is a foreign fruit that is now also grown in Cumilla. It is popular with everyone for its attractive colour, aroma, taste and high nutritional value. It is rich in vitamin C and also contains plenty of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. If anyone wants to grow it commercially, we will give them every kind of support from the agriculture department."

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