Abdul Mannan first began growing papaya seven years ago and turned to commercial cultivation two years ago. The young agricultural entrepreneur is now profiting from it, and seeing his success many others are becoming interested in papaya.

Abdul Mannan is the son of Md Amir Hossain of the Saherkhali Bhorer Bazar area in Saherkhali union of Mirsharai upazila, Chattogram. He graduated from Nizampur Government College in the upazila in 2003 and ended his studies there, then began growing papaya alongside mangoes.

At Mannan Agro, Abdul Mannan was found picking ripe papayas and gathering them in one place, to be sold at his sales centre and in the market. Papayas hang from every tree: each of more than a hundred four-foot Red Lady trees on 28 decimals of land is bearing fruit. A labourer is employed on a daily wage to tend the trees, and the green field is a pleasing sight.

"Seven years ago I planted a few papaya seedlings just like that," said Abdul Mannan, the owner of Mannan Agro. "I have a mango orchard. Two years ago I planted 150 Red Lady papaya seedlings in the empty spaces between the mango trees. Some seedlings died, but now it has been a success. Fruit starts about two feet up from the base of the tree. With proper care each tree yields 30 to 40 kg."

He said ripe papaya sells at Tk 100 to 150 a kg, and each fruit weighs 1 to 3 kg. "So far we have sold Tk 40,000 to 50,000 worth of fruit, and about Tk 60,000 more can be sold. We have also sold Tk 10,000 to 15,000 of green papaya. Because of dengue fever there is strong demand for papaya now. Many people buy from the sales centre, and many in town have placed advance orders."

Mirsharai upazila agriculture officer Pratap Chandra Roy said: "Abdul Mannan is an enterprising farmer. His farm grows not only papaya but various mangoes, rice and vegetables. Papaya has yielded well this time, and many unemployed young men are becoming interested after seeing him."

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