Zakir Hossain, 47, has become self-reliant by growing dates, a fruit of desert countries. Mariam, Ajwa, Khalizi, Medjool, Ambar and other varieties of dates hang in bunches in his orchard, and people crowd to see it every day.

Zakir Hossain is the son of Abu Abbas of the Swajan Pukur area of Fulbari municipal town. He migrated to Kuwait in 1999, first working at a motor garage in the city of "Suyeb" and gradually rising from employee to garage owner. Inspired by the date palms along every house and road in Suyeb, he began planning a date orchard in his own country, learning the cultivation methods online and from date growers.

Zakir pressed ahead with his plan. In 2017 he planted date seeds on 20 decimals of his own land in the Swajan Pukur area of the municipal town. The seeds became seedlings, the seedlings full trees, and in 2022 the long-awaited dates appeared for the first time. His success has amazed everyone in the area. Having found economic freedom and peace of mind in the shade of his date palms, he never went back abroad.

On a visit, Zakir was found busy in the orchard, tending fruiting palms with a few workers, and he shared much about his hobby orchard.

"I am running a date orchard and producing seedlings on two acres of land," Zakir Hossain said. "The nursery has more than 10,000 seedlings ready for sale. I raise date palm seedlings from seed and sell them in neighbouring districts and upazilas and across the country. There is demand online from date palm lovers too, and they sell there as well. In the past three years I have sold seedlings worth about Tk 40 lakh."

He said: "Of the 19 date palms planted on 20 decimals at the start, 14 have fruited well this year. I expect about 20 maunds of dates from these trees. The dates are not ripe yet. Even at a minimum of Tk 500 a kg, I will be able to sell Tk 10 lakh worth of dates."

The orchard owner said: "In 2022 two trees fruited for the first time, and the yield has grown since then. I gave some to local people to eat and used some as seed to raise seedlings. Dates are green at first, then gradually turn yellow and then a deep reddish colour. These dates will be ready for market by late August."

"Each two-year-old date palm seedling sells for Tk 1,000, and each grafted seedling for Tk 15,000-30,000," he said. "I am also preparing seedlings in plastic drums for rooftops. Those who once laughed at me are now paying for seedlings, and some buyers' trees have already fruited."

Zakir has become something of an expert in date palm care, raising seedlings from seed, grafting, pruning, and harvesting and storing the crop. "We think dates are a fruit of desert countries, but that is not so. Date palms grow in all kinds of soil. You must make sure the land drains well, though sandy loam is most suitable," he said.

"Sand, ash, cow dung and compost should be mixed and left for a few days before being applied to the land," Zakir said. "Seeds from dates should be soaked for 40-48 hours and then sown in trays, with regular care. This way seedlings will sprout within four weeks. After a while the seedlings are moved into plastic bags and then planted in the soil again."

Taherul Islam came from Panchagarh to buy date palm seedlings. "I learned about Zakir from an acquaintance and then contacted him by mobile phone. I have already prepared the land and am taking 20 seedlings," he said.

"This is such a fine, nutritious fruit, yet we have to import dates worth lakhs of taka every day, especially in Ramadan," Zakir said. "But our country has great potential for date farming. I am trying to plant date palm seedlings in every village of the country within the next ten years. Even if we cannot export, I am working so that we no longer have to import dates. I have already motivated people in the area and am getting a good response."

Agriculturist Shahanur Rahman, acting upazila agriculture officer, told Jago News: "I have visited Zakir's date orchard. The agriculture office is giving him all-round advice. Date farming has added a new dimension to farming in this region. He is a very good agricultural entrepreneur, and it is possible to profit by farming dates the way Zakir has."

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