Md Amjad Hossain, a farm entrepreneur in Chuarpur village, Badalgachhi upazila, Naogaon, expects to earn about Tk 2.3 million after all costs from papayas grown on three and a half bighas this season, BSS reports.
He planted 1,250 papaya seedlings ten months ago. Land preparation, seedlings, bamboo stakes, organic and chemical fertiliser and miticide cost about Tk 500,000. The trees began fruiting in mid-September; leaving out male plants and some 50 damaged trees, about 1,200 are in full fruit.
By his reckoning each tree gives at least two maunds of ripe fruit, about 2,400 maunds this year. He is selling at a minimum of Tk 1,200 a maund, which would bring Tk 2.88 million in all and a net profit above Tk 2.3 million after the Tk 500,000 cost. The fruit is sold straight from the orchard, and local people buy there too.
Buyers Md Azizul Islam and Arup Kumar said they had rarely seen so much fruit on papaya trees. People come every day from nearby villages to see the orchard, and some ask Amjad for advice on starting one.
Md Manjur Rahman, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Naogaon, said Amjad's success has raised interest in papaya in the area, the soil suits the crop, and the department is ready to advise and help such entrepreneurs.
Photo (illustrative): a papaya tree in fruit. Photo: Valugi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: BSS
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