Nurul Mostafa, 50, a returnee from abroad living in Mirsarai, Chattogram, dreams of success in banana farming. After a long spell abroad he came home ill, and three years ago he started growing bananas near his house with 50 seedlings. Alongside his other crops, he is now earning well from bananas.

He is the son of the late Nurul Alam of North Domkhali village in Saherkhali union, Mirsarai upazila. At his garden beside a canal near his home, an attractive banana plantation covers about 22 decimals, with bunches hanging from the plants. Mostafa and his son tend the garden, and he has grown rice on the neighbouring land. He visits the garden several times a day.

"I went abroad in search of a living," Nurul Mostafa told Jagonews. "When I came back I started farming some of my own land and some more that I sharecrop. Three years ago I took 50 local banana seedlings from a friend and planted a garden. Now I grow bananas on 22 decimals, with about 1,000 plants large and small. With the income from bananas my two sons are studying at college."

"Each banana plant produces four or five suckers, which slowly grow into big plants and bear fruit," he said. "I don't need to take my bananas to market; wholesalers come and buy them. Besides giving to relatives and neighbours, I have sold about Tk 50,000 worth of bananas, and I hope to sell another Tk 1 lakh worth."

Iqbal Hossain, a local teacher, said: "Nurul Mostafa has taken up banana farming after returning from abroad. After meeting the needs of his family and relatives he earns well by selling. His bananas are in good demand in the area, and many people are becoming interested in banana farming after seeing him."

Pratap Chandra Roy, the Mirsarai upazila agriculture officer, told Jagonews: "I have heard about Nurul Mostafa's banana garden, but I haven't been able to visit it yet. I will try to go and inspect it in the next few days."

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