Sharmin Khatun of Hoglabaria village in Chatmohar upazila of Pabna has made a success of growing malta on land that had been lying fallow. From an orchard on two bighas of leased land she expects a profit of at least Tk 4 lakh this year after all costs.

Sharmin decided to take up farming in 2021, during the coronavirus pandemic. She leased two bighas for five years and planted an orchard of Vietnamese and BARI-1 malta. The first two years brought little fruit; with intensive care and regular supervision the orchard filled with fruit last year.

After paying the lease and all care costs, she made a profit of more than Tk 2 lakh last year. Yields have risen further this season, with bunches of green malta hanging from every tree. Her fruit competes with imported malta in local markets, and locally she has become known as "Malta Bhabi".

Sharmin said many neighbours mocked her at first for planting an orchard on leased land where even ordinary crops had not paid, making malta a big risk. She has now planted another bigha with seedlings of an Australian yellow malta variety.

People visit the orchard every day, some to buy fruit and others to learn how it is grown.

Chatmohar upazila agriculture officer Kuntala Ghosh said that after malta from Sharmin's orchard was displayed at the upazila fruit fair, many ordinary farmers in the area had been inspired to grow the fruit, and the agriculture department would help anyone who wanted to take it up.

Reported by the Pabna correspondent of Krishi Shomoy.

Source: Krishi Shomoy