Local farmers in Kaliganj, Gazipur, are seeing success with commercial papaya farming. Demand for papaya, both as a green vegetable and as ripe fruit, has been rising day by day in local markets and around Dhaka, so many people are now turning to the crop. Wholesalers now buy papaya straight from the orchards, sparing farmers the trouble of taking it to market. Transport costs have also fallen and profits have risen.

Md Masud Sarkar, a farmer in his forties from Birtul village in Nagari union, grew papaya on 1 bigha last year with the help and advice of the agriculture office and made a profit. Encouraged by that success, he has planted papaya on 3 bighas this year in hope of greater gains. The yield is good and he is getting good prices.

He is not alone. Roni Sarkar and Samrat Sarkar, young men from the same village, are also growing papaya. Several local farmers said papaya had brought them success and financial gain.

The local agriculture office says papaya has been planted on about 50 hectares in Kaliganj upazila, with the largest area in Nagari union. Farmers are selling their produce to wholesalers in the market and to local people.

Md Monir Uddin Molla, sub-assistant agriculture officer of the upazila's Ulukhola block, said: "With the help and advice of the agriculture office, papaya farming has brought financial comfort back to farming families in Birtul village."

Kaliganj upazila agriculture officer Farzana Taslim, an agriculturist, said: "Papaya costs little to grow, there is little trouble with pests and diseases, and no risk of damage from storms and rain. Many people have become financially comfortable by growing papaya commercially."

She added: "Unless there is a natural disaster, nutritious papaya can change a farmer's fortunes. If papaya growers received financial support from the government, the country's unemployment problem could be solved. If educated unemployed young people take up farming, they too will profit."

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