Orange farming spreads across 16 northern districts, from Bogura to Panchagarh

Orange farming was growing in 16 districts of northern Bangladesh, Jagonews24 reported on 25 December 2024. According to the report, the climate and soil had made China, Darjeeling and mandarin oranges profitable for farmers in Bogura, Panchagarh, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Gaibandha and Kurigram, with training and inputs from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).

Md Abdul Aziz, a farmer in Gobardhanpur village of Bogura, began growing China oranges in 2019. By the time of the report, 200 trees were bearing fruit on his two-bigha orchard. Besides China, Darjeeling and mandarin oranges, he grew red, Thai and local grapes, and had sold about Tk 4 lakh worth of fruit.

“I became interested in orange farming after watching YouTube, and started with encouragement from my children,” Abdul Aziz said. “There is good demand in the market now, so I am getting good prices.” Several neighbours had started small China orange plots, some also trying lemon and malta.

Panchagarh is Bangladesh's northernmost district. It lies in the lower foothills of the Himalayas, with India's Darjeeling district to its north. Its Tetulia upazila is known for tea, and orange and pineapple are grown there too. Jagonews24 reported that farmers in Tetulia and Boda upazilas had taken up oranges and credited the high land and natural organic manure for good yields.

Abdul Kader, a farmer in Tetulia, said: “Alongside tea, orange farming has opened a new horizon for us. By using natural resources properly here, we can gain more.”

In Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur and Chirirbandar upazila of Dinajpur, a few farmers were growing China and Darjeeling oranges on a small scale. Mandarins were on trial in Saghata upazila of Gaibandha and Phulbari upazila of Kurigram, and the DAE said good yields were drawing local interest. Farmer Md Rafiqul Islam said: “Because the mandarin yield has met expectations, I plan to grow it on more land next year.”

In January 2022 Abu Hossain, deputy director of the DAE in Thakurgaon, told The Daily Star that orange farming was introduced in the northern districts under the government's 2006-2011 Orange Orchard Development Project. The Citrus Development Project followed in May 2013 with the same aim and was renamed the Citrus Fruits Extension, Management and Increasing Production Project in 2018. He said the acidic soil and climate of Panchagarh and Thakurgaon suit oranges, as the area is near India's Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri, long known for high-quality oranges. Thakurgaon then had 130 hectares under oranges.

The crop was spreading in the Rajshahi region as well. In November 2020 The Business Standard reported on a commercial orange orchard in the Barind area of Chapainawabganj that included the BARI Kamala-2 and BARI Kamala-3 varieties, and in October 2023 the state news agency BSS reported Rajshahi-region farmers planting China and Darjeeling oranges alongside malta.

The mandarin (Citrus reticulata) is a small, slightly flattened citrus fruit. Its thin, loose peel comes away easily. The tree grows in tropical and subtropical areas but is easily damaged by cold.

Jagonews24 reported that drip and other modern irrigation were becoming popular, with local agriculture offices providing training and equipment. Farmers were selling online and directly to wholesalers. But there were not enough cold stores or processing centres for harvested oranges; juice, jam and jelly were named as ways to widen the market.

Faridur Rahman, a sub-assistant agriculture officer of the DAE in Bogura, said: “The environment in the north is very suitable for orange farming. We are advising farmers to use organic fertiliser, which makes the fruit sweet and poison-free.” DAE offices in Rangpur, Panchagarh and Dinajpur said they planned more help through training, inputs, improved seedlings and new technology, and there were plans for local processing centres.

Farmers said an outlay of about Tk 1 lakh could return three to four times as much within two years. Farmer Md Anwar Hossain said: “By growing companion crops such as lemon and ginger alongside oranges, my income has grown a lot.” Agriculture experts said planned cultivation and more orchards could reduce the need to import oranges.

Photo: Salim Khandoker / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Sources: Jagonews24, The Daily Star, The Business Standard, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Wikipedia