Lemon grower Shahinuzzaman Shahin sold Tk 4 lakh worth of lemons in the first seven days of Ramadan and hopes to sell another Tk 3 lakh this month. He is confident of passing his target of Tk 7 lakh by the 25th day of fasting.
At his lemon orchard in Manikngar village of Ishwardi, Pabna, clusters of lemons peep out from among the green leaves of every tree, and workers are picking them for market. The orchard is two years old and will bear fruit for more than 15 years. He has also grown chillies, bananas, kakrol and other vegetables as companion crops.
Shahinuzzaman Shahin is the son of Iman Sardar of Mahadebpur village in Sahapur. Besides lemons he grows onions, carrots, aubergines, radishes, bananas and capsicum. He won a national agriculture award in 2023 as a successful farmer.
Neighbours seek his advice
Local dairy farmer Amirul Islam told Jago News: "I have a cattle farm and also grow crops. Shahinuzzaman bhai's lemon orchard has produced well. I am taking advice and ideas on lemon growing from him. Many people like me come to see the orchard and get advice. His success with lemons has encouraged farmers in the area."
Shahinuzzaman told Jago News: "I have planted 1,000 China-3 and local lemon trees on 10 bigha. Since the start of Ramadan I have sold Tk 4 lakh worth of lemons and hope to sell another Tk 3 lakh, Tk 7 lakh in all. In Chaitra and Baishakh I could sell Tk 20–25 lakh worth, and with Tk 30 lakh in the other eight months I hope to sell Tk 60 lakh a year."
He said: "Setting up the orchard on 10 bigha cost Tk 1.5 lakh. Care, weeding, fertiliser and labour cost about Tk 1.5 to 2 lakh a year. Selling the companion crops covers much of the upkeep. The orchard is mostly China-3 and local kagzi lemons."
Demand and irrigation
Upazila agriculture officer Mita Sarkar said: "With growing health awareness, demand for lemons has risen sharply in the country. The soil here is also very suitable for lemons. China-3 and Thai lemons yield far more than local kagzi lemons, and demand is especially high in Ramadan."
She said: "Demand, and so the price, is higher in the dry months of Chaitra and Baishakh. Because the BADC irrigation wing has supplied farmer Shahinuzzaman Shahin with a solar-powered dug well, his trees never lack water, even in the dry season. That is why he always gets good yields and profits."
Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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