Villages across the district are now celebrating green malta. More than 300 farmers are involved in growing it; they are happy to earn cash by selling the fruit, and consumers are glad to buy fresh, formalin-free malta. The fruit is grown in villages of several upazilas, especially Adarsha Sadar, Sadar Dakshin, Barura, Lalmai, Nangalkot and Debidwar.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Cumilla, malta is grown on about 30 acres in various upazilas of the district. Householders are also planting 10 or 15 saplings each here and there, and in all more than 300 growers are involved. Their malta is sold at fruit shops in Kandirpar in Cumilla city and in shops in other upazilas.

Muguji is a village north of Barura municipality, where small trader Abdur Rob has had considerable success with a malta orchard. He said he lived abroad for a long time, then came home and started a small business in the local market. He had some land beside his house and planned to grow a profitable fruit. He watched videos on YouTube about malta farming and its prospects, and three years ago contacted upazila agriculture officer Tariq Mahmudul Islam. With his help he planted malta on 17 decimals of land. His good trees each gave about 35 kg of fruit in the season. The malta are large and very sweet. He does not sell to wholesalers at the market but sells cheaply to villagers so that everyone can afford the fruit.

Tariq Mahmudul Islam, described in the same report as district seed certification officer, told BSS that Bangladesh has to import all its malta, mostly from India and China, and most of it is treated with harmful chemicals. Locally grown malta is now on the market and meets 5 per cent of the country's demand. If this pace continues, Bangladesh could meet its own needs and export malta in five years, he said.

District agriculture extension officer Mizanur Rahman told BSS that many people are interested in growing malta and are contacting the extension office. Cumilla has great potential for malta, and the office is giving advice and support to those who want to plant orchards, he said.

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