Alauddin, 55, lives in Adityapasha village of Egarasindur union in Pakundia upazila, Kishoreganj. With help from the agriculture office he has grown the G-9 banana variety on 20 decimals of land beside his house, and it has changed his fortunes. The plot, which cost him nothing but labour, is now expected to bring in Tk 1.5 lakh. Seeing his success, other farmers have become interested in the variety.

G-9 bananas are being grown on a trial basis in Pakundia. It is a high-yielding variety, with each bunch expected to carry about 200 bananas, and it can give a large harvest even on a small plot. A farmer can sell a bunch for Tk 800 to Tk 1,000. The variety is high-yielding, disease-resistant and very tasty. It fruits within six months of planting, and a farmer can harvest three times in two years. The plants are of medium height, so they do not break in storms or wind. The fruit keeps relatively longer after harvest, and all the bananas in a bunch, from top to bottom, are the same size. Bags are used to keep the fruit free of marks.

According to the local agriculture department, Alauddin, a farmer in the Adityapasha Baganbari area of Pakundia's Angiadi block, was encouraged to grow the high-yielding G-9 variety. For the first time, 200 G-9 banana plants were planted on his 20 decimals of land. The department supplied the 200 saplings, fertiliser and a bag for every bunch free of charge; Alauddin contributed only his labour. The yield from the 200 plants in the first season alone could bring him Tk 1.5 lakh.

Alauddin told Jago News: "I used to grow vegetables on this land, but I did not make much profit. The agriculture office gave me G-9 banana saplings. The plants gave a good yield within eight months of planting. The banana fruited in only eight months, so I will make more profit, because it took four months less. I planted the 200 saplings from the agriculture office on my 20 decimals. They also gave fertiliser and bags; I only had to give my labour. With this yield I will be able to sell Tk 1.5 lakh worth."

Salah Uddin, a farmer from the same area, told Jago News: "The bunches in this orchard are much bigger than in other orchards, and they look beautiful. I like this variety very much and I will grow it too, because it fruits in a short time. Farmers can profit more from it."

Mohammad Hamimul Haque Sohag, sub-assistant agriculture officer of Angiadi block, told Jago News: "Farmer Alauddin was given 200 saplings for 20 decimals of land. They fruited in just eight months. At current market prices he can sell each bunch for Tk 700 to Tk 800. Many farmers have already collected G-9 saplings and are planting orchards on their own initiative."

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