Md Abu Raihan Faruk dreams of becoming self-reliant by growing oranges of the China Jhuri variety in Kurigram. He is the son of Kazi Md Habibur Rahman of Belgachha union in Kurigram Sadar upazila. He now has more than a hundred orange trees on 2 bighas of land, with oranges hanging in clusters. The trees began to fruit just a year and a half after the saplings were planted, and the orchard is two and a half years old.

He started growing them commercially this year. He expects to sell about 15 to 20 maunds of oranges from the orchard in 20 days' time, worth about Tk 80,000 at market prices. He hopes to make double his money after production costs.

On a visit it was learned that Abu Raihan Faruk chose farming after finishing his studies. He began integrated fruit farming on his father's land, where about 6 acres carry fruit trees of many local and foreign varieties. Alongside mangoes, malta and grapes, he decided to grow oranges. He first collected one China Jhuri orange tree from Bogura town. From that single tree, using grafting, he planted 100 orange trees on 2 bighas, and began getting oranges within a year and a half. The orchard needs no extra work: organic fertiliser and timely sprays of pesticide and fungicide give a good yield.

Abu Raihan Faruk said: "Instead of chasing a job, I chose farming. Besides oranges I have various fruit trees, but the good market for oranges made me more interested in growing them. I have more than a hundred China Jhuri orange trees on my 2 bighas. It is a sweet variety."

"I have spent Tk 20,000 from the start until now. I hope to double my money selling oranges this year. Our country has to import oranges from various countries to meet demand. If oranges can be grown commercially at home, we can meet the demand and also export them," he said.

Mohammad Kabir Hossain, who came to see the orchard, said: "I really liked Faruk's orange orchard. If you focus on farming instead of chasing a job, you can earn well. I have also decided to plant an orange orchard. If the agriculture department stands by us, orange growers will benefit even more."

Biplob Kumar Mohanta, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Kurigram, said: "Orange farming has opened a new possibility in the district. No target has yet been set for orange cultivation, but the agriculture department will give Faruk's orchard every kind of support."

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