Instead of chasing a job, Zahidul Mahmud Sumon became interested in farming after watching YouTube, and has made a name for himself with integrated farming. The young agri-entrepreneur from Pirojpur has succeeded with around 400 papaya trees, fish farming and other fruit. Local people, seeing his success, are becoming interested in integrated farming too. With government support and easy-term loans, he says, he would expand the farm.

Sumon, from the Radhanagar area of Bhandaria upazila in the district, has set a rare example in integrated farming with his own talent and labour. He started the project after being inspired by YouTube, and many unemployed local people are now being drawn to integrated farming by his striking success.

The farm combines crops and fisheries, with papaya, mango, pomelo and various species of fish. It began in 2022 on just 88 decimals of land and has grown in three years to about five acres, from which he earns Tk 10 to 15 lakh a year. For educated unemployed young people in the area, Sumon's farm has become a model of self-reliance.

The farm's main attraction is the Indian Shahi variety of papaya. Each fruit weighs up to 3 to 4 kg and sells for Tk 35 to 50 a kg. There are around 400 papaya trees, and each sells on average about Tk 3,000 worth of papaya a year. The crop meets local demand and goes to Dhaka, Chattogram and elsewhere, and it has created jobs for local people.

Sumon's venture is not limited to papaya. The project has three fish ponds stocked with tilapia, pangas, rui, katla, gulsha, golda prawn and other species. Combining crop and fish production is raising profits.

Besides fish and papaya, the farm has mango and pomelo orchards. Five workers are employed regularly, creating local jobs. Every day people come from Bhandaria and nearby areas to see the project. Despite building such a large venture, Sumon has not yet received any government grant.

"I was mainly interested in papaya farming," Sumon said. "One day I saw a good papaya orchard at Babuganj in Barishal on YouTube and liked it a lot. Later I went to that orchard and brought saplings from there. After planting them properly, fruit started coming just four months later."

"At present each tree in my orchard has one and a half to two maunds of papaya," he said. "A tree lasts two to three years and yields five to six maunds. There are also various fish here: tilapia, hybrid pangas, loitta, koral and air. I am also planting various fruit trees. There are more than 400 papaya trees here."

"After costs, my profit can be Tk 10 to 15 lakh a year," Sumon said. "My demand to the government is technical support. If I could get the interest-free loan that is available, I would build a large modern farm project here that would create jobs."

Liton Sheikh, a worker on the project, said: "It has been very good for our area. I have worked here since the project began. My job is sowing seed, looking after the field, applying fertiliser, buying and selling. Before, I had to go to many places for work; now I don't. I don't have to worry. My family gets by on the wage I am paid."

Employee Joynal Howlader said: "There are three ponds and 400 papaya trees here, and we look after them and do whatever is needed. This project has become a good workplace. I don't have to go elsewhere; wages outside are low, but here they are good."

Bhandaria upazila agriculture officer Md Zahid Mahmud said: "Sumon is a young agri-entrepreneur and a role model for young farmers today. He has made an orchard on five acres with 400 Shahi papaya trees. He is also growing various vegetables, and there is fish farming and trees of various fruits."

"The agriculture department has supported his work from the start, at every stage from preparing the soil to the fruit coming," he said. "We will continue to support him. In particular, he will be given Good Agricultural Practices training, through which we hope it will be possible to export his papaya abroad."

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