Joypur is a border village in Mujibnagar upazila of Meherpur. Network engineer Manjurul Islam lives there. His younger daughter Lamia loves strawberries, which are hard to find in the market, so he started growing them himself. He never imagined that a hobby garden would change his fortunes. From a crop begun to please his daughter he now earns lakhs of taka, and having got through the difficult stages of strawberry farming he is a successful agricultural entrepreneur.

His strawberry farm is always busy with people of all ages, some coming to learn how to grow them and others to enjoy their beauty and taste. Juicy red strawberries peep out between the green leaves on row after row of beds, and children are thrilled to taste them straight from the garden. Young traders from the area buy the fruit and sell it in different parts of the country.

Three years ago, to fulfil his daughter's wish, Manjurul planted strawberry seedlings in 10 pots on his roof. When they fruited well, he collected planting material from Rajshahi Tissue Culture and the following year began growing commercially on one and a half bighas, planting 7,000 strawberry plants there. Each plant bears 800 to 900 grams of fruit. He has already sold several hundred seedlings and more than Tk 18 lakh worth of strawberries, and expects to sell at least several lakh taka more. Many are inspired by his success.

Manjurul Islam said: "In all, from preparing the land to getting fruit, I spent Tk 3.5 lakh. I've sold several lakh taka worth of seedlings. After all costs, I've profited by selling Tk 6 lakh worth of strawberries. Every day one and a half to two maunds of fruit are picked. Strawberries sell wholesale at Tk 400-500 a kg. They are grown organically, so many people are keen to buy. The plants fruit regularly from January to March. It's a winter crop: when the sun gets hotter the plants die and stop fruiting. I'll grow on more land in future. Because it gives a big profit in a short time, farmers are showing interest."

He added: "Three years ago I grew strawberries on one and a half bighas and made a profit of Tk 6 lakh. On the strength of that first year, I've expanded over the past two years and gained unique experience. But there is a shortage of quality tissue-culture strawberry seedlings. If a lab could be set up with government help, I could supply improved seedlings to entrepreneurs across the country."

His daughter Lamia Islam said: "A few years ago we lived in Kushtia. Abbu used to buy strawberries for me then. I love the fruit, so I asked him to grow strawberries. He started growing them experimentally on the roof. When that succeeded, he grew them first on one and a half bighas and now on four bighas. Next year he will grow even more."

Buyer Abdul Latif said: "Thanks to Manjurul, this expensive foreign fruit is now within reach at an affordable price. It used to be very hard even to see one. In Joypur, the village next to ours, it's available at a price we can afford."

Farmer Faisal Hossain said: "I never imagined such beautiful fruit could grow in Meherpur's soil. What Manjurul Islam bhai has earned growing strawberries on 4 bighas isn't possible with other crops. With good marketing there could be even more profit. I'll collect seedlings and grow them next year on the agriculture department's advice."

Farmer Jayedul Islam said: "I've come to Manjurul Islam to learn strawberry farming hands-on. I want to grow them on my own land in future on his advice."

Fruit trader Abdul Jalil said: "I trade in seasonal fruit. From January to March I deal in strawberries, because demand is high and the profit is greater."

Bijoy Krishna Haldar, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Meherpur, said: "Farmers here are very keen to adopt new technology. Manjurul Islam has grown strawberries on his land. It is a highly nutritious, high-value crop, and he is getting a good market price. I hope more will be grown in the district. We are advising many who are interested."

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