Harunur Rashid, owner of the Allahr Dan Nursery at Ramnagar Furniture Mor in Magura Sadar, has had success with the Pakistani Kinnow variety of orange. In an orchard of about 240 trees beside his home, most trees have borne fruit for the first time this year, hanging in clusters.
About five years ago a man brought a Kinnow sapling from India and planted it at his home. When it fruited, Harunur Rashid took grafts from it, raised saplings in his nursery, planted his own orchard and sold saplings to several others. Each sapling now sells for Tk 200.
By his account, the trees start bearing about three years after planting and the fruit takes eight to ten months to ripen. Flowers usually appear around February and the fruit matures in December and January. Three or four oranges weigh about a kilogram, and a large tree in full bearing can give three to four maunds, he said.
He has tended trees for 27 years and keeps three orange varieties in his nursery; in his view the Kinnow gives the better yield and quality. Several farmers in Magura have already taken saplings to start orchards, and he advises them on fertiliser, pest control and care.
Md Azam Uddin, acting director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Magura, said several China orange orchards have already been planted in the district, oranges are grown on about one hectare, and the growers are being advised. The new variety appears to be yielding well and the department is keeping an eye on it.
He cautioned that before growing any new fruit commercially, farmers need to weigh local soil and weather, variety choice, disease, production cost and marketing.
Reported by Krishi Shomoy's Magura correspondent.
Photo: Kinnow / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Krishi Shomoy
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