In six villages of Enayetpur union in Phulbaria upazila, Mymensingh, lemons have become farmers' main cash crop. Orchards on fields, homesteads and once-fallow plots supply local demand and markets across the country.
According to the upazila agriculture office, lemons were planted on 754.8 hectares in Phulbaria this year, about 550 hectares of them in Enayetpur. Farmers grow the Colombo, seedless and kagzi varieties.
The office estimates that 453 hectares of Colombo lemons, at an average of 560 sacks a hectare, could yield 253,680 sacks, worth about Tk 63.42 crore at Tk 2,500 a sack. The 283 hectares of seedless lemons could give 141,500 sacks, worth about Tk 31.13 crore at Tk 2,200 a sack. With kagzi lemons added, sales could reach about Tk 95 crore, and pass Tk 100 crore if prices hold.
Masud Talukdar of Soyaitpur village planted six acres of seedless and Colombo lemons three years ago. He sold about Tk 20 lakh worth last season and hopes to reach Tk 30 lakh this year if yields and prices are good.
As output has grown, a lemon market has sprung up in Enayetpur. Local traders say lemons worth about Tk 20-22 lakh change hands there every day, bought by wholesalers who send them to other regions.
A few farmers first planted trial orchards; their profits drew others in. Orchard care, picking, transport and the market now give work to local labourers and traders too.
Reporting: Agricare24 desk.
Photo: Carsten Niehaus / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Agricare24
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