Chhanowar Hossain left teaching, returned to his village and started growing fruit. Within a few years he had built a commercial farm and become self-reliant growing different fruits. Inspired by him, many in the area have taken up fruit farming and are also profiting. Chhanowar Hossain has earned a reputation as a successful entrepreneur in the district and has received a National Agriculture Award for his contribution to agricultural development through commercial farming.

He now grows pineapple, banana, papaya, dragon fruit and guava commercially, along with coffee and cashew nuts. He has drawn particular attention by growing coffee in the Garh area, where the soil, landscape, weather and soil fertility give coffee bright prospects. Chhanowar has planted these crops on about 55 bighas of land.

Chhanowar Hossain is the son of Jamal Hossain of Mohishmara College Para village in Mohishmara union, Madhupur upazila. He is the only son among four children. After finishing his studies, in 1993 he joined Renga Hajiganj High School in South Surma upazila, Sylhet, as an English teacher, but his devotion to farming meant he did not stay in the job long.

After five years of teaching he came back to his village. Pineapple had long been grown on the family land, and on his return he began farming with pineapple. One by one he then took up dragon fruit, banana, guava and coffee. With the money earned from farming, he has founded Mohishmara College in his area.

A visit to the farm found Chhanowar Hossain tending the orchard himself, helped by his workers. The coffee plants have flowered but not yet fruited, and the dragon fruit plants have not borne fruit either. The guava trees are fruiting, the banana crop has yielded well, and the pineapples are not yet ripe.

Mamun, a worker on the farm, told Jagonews: "I have been working here for two years. At the moment I look after the guava and banana orchards. I earn a decent living."

Another worker, Hazrat Ali, told Jagonews: "I do everything in the orchard, from weeding to applying fertiliser and seed. I get Tk 500 a day, and all my household expenses depend on it."

Local resident Shahidul Islam told Jagonews: "Seeing Chhanowar Hossain, I too have planted a guava orchard, and it has yielded well. Chhanowar advises me in various ways. He has earned a good name in farming and is the pride of our area."

Mahim and Abu Taher said: "We have seen Chhanowar Hossain farming since we were children. He achieved this success through hard work. Following his example, many unemployed young men are becoming interested in farming."

Chhanowar Hossain told Jagonews: "Agriculture is our best profession, and it can employ more people. That is why I left teaching to farm. I grow various crops commercially using modern methods with government and private support, and I have profited well. I grow these fruits without chemicals and do everything in a healthy, safe way."

"I have planted a medicinal garden on one acre," he said. "At the same time, as a hobby, I grow 30 to 40 kinds of fruit. Much is possible if you farm in a planned way. If you work in agriculture with knowledge and understanding, there is no chance of a loss. Many called me mad for leaving my job. I have proved that farming done properly is profitable. I urge young people to come forward into farming instead of chasing jobs."

Mohammad Dulal Uddin, district training officer of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Tangail, told Jagonews: "Chhanowar Hossain is a successful farmer. The agriculture department has given him full support."

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