Kabir Hossain Khan of Madaripur set up a nursery on 2 acres 20 decimals of land as a hobby. That hobby has become a source of income: he now sells at least Tk 10 lakh worth of mangoes each season, and many young people are being inspired by him to plant mango orchards.

Kabir Hossain Khan, 60, is the son of the late Joynal Abedin Khan of Bakultala in Madaripur Sadar upazila. His wife is Nargis Nahid, and his only son, Imran Khan Trishan, lives in London. Kabir Hossain has loved trees since childhood and planted them whenever he had the chance. His greatest encouragement came from his late mother, Mazeda Begum, who planted trees in the yard and wherever else she found an empty space. Watching her deepened his interest.

At one point he began to dream of a large nursery. As he had no single large plot of his own, he found land beside the Arial Khan river at Pakhira in Khoajpur union of the same upazila, leased it and began planting. In 2016 he planted mango, jackfruit and a range of flowers, fruit trees and vegetables on 2 acres 20 decimals, and the nursery gradually flourished.

His nursery now has 10 varieties of mango trees, along with jackfruit, lychee and other fruit trees. He has also planted 20 kinds of flowering plants and 10 kinds of vegetables. Later, drawn to cacti, he built a separate shaded cactus corner that holds 25 kinds. He is not selling cacti for now; he is producing seed from them to increase their number and will sell them later.

He also grows several kinds of chemical-free vegetables, including okra, taro, taro stolons and amaranth stems. Five people work at the nursery, and Kabir Hossain is happy to have created jobs for them. For the past few years he has sold at least Tk 10 lakh worth of mangoes every season, plus another Tk 3 lakh a year of flowers and vegetables. People come from neighbouring districts to buy his formalin-free mangoes, and many pick the mangoes they want with their own hands at the nursery. The orchard's reputation has already spread across the district.

Mamun Hossain, who came to buy mangoes, said: "I have come here to buy mangoes because the mangoes in the market contain formalin. Kabir Hossain also charges less. Depending on the variety he sells mangoes at Tk 70 to Tk 100 a kg. So every mango season I buy mangoes here for my family. They taste very good too."

Rakib Hasan, who came for flowering plants, said: "I buy mangoes here every year too, but today I came to buy some flowering plants. I have a garden on my rooftop, so I often buy plants here. Seeing his huge mango orchard, I am thinking of planting one on the empty land at my village home in Chhilarchar. Trees are friends of people and the environment, so seeing him I too am dreaming of a mango orchard."

Kabir Hossain Khan told Jago News: "I built the nursery out of a hobby. It is a bit far from my home, so it takes some effort, but my days revolve around the orchard. The number of trees is slowly growing. I started by leasing the land for 15 years. I never thought I would be this successful. Seeing me, many people are thinking of planting mango orchards, and many ask me about it."

He said: "Beyond a hobby, the orchard has now come to fruition. It is always full of flowers and fruit, and I earn by selling them. I have given five people work. An orchard also means protecting the balance of the environment. So altogether I have many dreams for it."

Al-Amin, sub-assistant agriculture officer for Madaripur Sadar upazila, said: "Kabir Hossain earns a lot of money selling mangoes every year, which is an example for us. He has made a beautiful orchard quite close to the town, and it has earned a good name in the district. We also give him advice and the support he needs through government channels. Seeing him, many people are becoming interested in planting mango orchards."

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