Step into the Horticulture Centre in Madaripur and you are greeted by plants of many colours covered in strange spines of every kind, a collection of striking and unusual plants, some tough, some soft. On display are 200 species of cactus. Staff are carefully raising seedlings in a big drive to put these plants in the hands of plant lovers at low prices. In the past two years they have sold Tk 5 lakh worth of cactus alone.

The Madaripur Horticulture Centre is in the Mostafapur Boro Bridge area of Mostafapur union in Madaripur Sadar upazila. Its deputy director, agriculturist Ashutosh Kumar Biswas, first began collecting cactus on his own initiative, fell in love with one kind, and that passion started the collection. He began buying cactus plants he saw online, then collected them from nurseries and people's homes, and from districts he visited for work. In just two years, 200 species have come to adorn the centre, and people from various districts of Bangladesh are also buying the plants.

The authorities said seedlings are being raised from the various species collected, and two separate cactus houses have been built for this. Some are grown from seed and some from cuttings, and they will be ready for sale next March. In just two years, Tk 5 lakh worth has been sold. Whether people in a district town would like cactus had been a question, but that changed once seedlings were produced: people bought them up in no time. Demand for cactus in the district is high, so plants are being produced by various methods.

Notable among them are chocolate cactus, padmaseji, opuntia, Euphorbia tulearensis, divine cactus, bishop's cap cactus, rat's tail cactus, fairy castle, mammillaria, astrophytum, rainbow cactus, old lady, hemato cactus, brain cactus, peanut cactus, banana cactus, bunny cactus, echinopsis, cat's tail cactus, stapelia, gymnocactus, ferocactus, golden barrel, lavavia, coral cactus, euphorbia, old man, notocactus, parodia, crested, lady finger and monkey tail cactus, among the 200 species.

Some are covered in spines, some have none; some are soft, some hard; some green, some red, blue or yellow; some patterned and some smooth. The centre also has many kinds of fruit, flower and medicinal plants. In the last financial year it sold Tk 42 lakh worth of plants. It has become a beauty spot for the people of Madaripur, and many come with their families to buy plants and look around.

Madaripur historian Subal Biswas said, "The Madaripur horticulture centre has 200 species of cactus, which are very beautiful to look at. So many cacti together is truly praiseworthy. And it is not only cactus; there are many kinds of flowering, fruit and medicinal plants."

Visitor Farzana Imu said, "Coming here lifts the spirits. Seeing so many species of plant makes me feel good, so I often come here with my family."

Milon Munshi, founder of the local organisation Jijibisha, said, "Plants cost more at nurseries in Madaripur. At the horticulture centre they are cheaper, so many people buy here now. I often buy plants here too. The plants are cheap and also good quality."

Deputy director Ashutosh Kumar Biswas said, "Cactus prices vary by type, and they are usually expensive. Many people want them but cannot buy them because of the price. So we make seedlings from the cacti we collect. We have been working for the past two years to put cactus in the hands of enthusiasts at low prices."

He said, "Some cacti produce seed, and many seedlings can be raised from that seed. Some are grafted. Some can be propagated from buds, and some from cut stems. That is how we are multiplying them, and sales will start from next March. Many people said demand for cactus in Madaripur might not be high. But many people from Madaripur live abroad, and their families are keen hobbyists who will buy plants for pleasure. Once we produced plants, we saw people from Madaripur and other districts coming to collect cactus."

Ashutosh Kumar added, "Our interest grew. We are working to collect and spread cactus to meet everyone's demand. In just the last two years, Tk 5 lakh worth of cactus has been sold. Our collection has grown to 200 species and we hope it will keep growing, until one day it becomes a huge and varied cactus collection. The plants are also easy to grow and can be kept indoors to beautify the home."

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