The orchard of Abdul Karim, a pioneer of malta farming in Jashore, is awash with yellow. Walking into the orchard of yellow malta hanging in clusters stops visitors in their tracks; it feels like entering an orchard abroad. The scene is in Muzgunni village of Manirampur upazila, where agricultural entrepreneur Abdul Karim has grown the BARI-1 variety of malta. In just two and a half years he has made a name with his malta.

His path was not easy. About a decade ago he failed at poultry rearing, earthworm compost production and other ventures and lost everything. Burdened with debt, he decided to run away. At that time, encouraged by Manirampur upazila agriculture officer Mrityunjoy Kumar Roy, he planted BARI Malta-1 saplings on a trial basis on 1 bigha under the agriculture department's crop diversification project. After planting 170 saplings he began intensive care, using bio-technology on the advice of agriculture officers, and started getting fruit after two years.

Abdul Karim said: "After passing higher secondary, my studies stopped for lack of money. So I borrowed and started poultry rearing and other work. But I failed, lost my capital and decided to run away from my debts. At one point I met the then upazila agriculture officer, who encouraged me to grow malta. Two years after I started growing malta on 20 decimals of leased land, the trees began to fruit. After that I never had to look back."

He said: "Then orders for malta grafts and fruit began to come from different regions. About three years ago I dreamed of growing yellow malta, so I planted yellow malta saplings on another 5 bighas of leased land. The trees fruited after two and a half years. Alongside yellow malta, I have also succeeded with Denmark malta."

He added: "The local BARI-1 yellow malta is full of juice, unmatched in taste and quality, and the trees are highly disease-resistant. I get 40-45 kg of fruit per tree. I have sold about Tk 22 lakh worth of malta at a wholesale price of Tk 130 a kg, and I hope to sell Tk 10 lakh more."

Abdul Karim's orchard has created jobs for 25-30 men and women, who work there as regular labourers. With government and private support, he could reduce dependence on imported fruit and play an important role in the national economy, the report says.

Manirampur upazila agriculture officer Rituraj Sarkar said: "The move to grow malta in Manirampur is very positive. Abdul Karim has set an example. Seeing his yield, many people in nearby areas are being encouraged to grow malta. The agriculture department is also giving him every kind of support."

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