Disabled farmer Rana Hamid has a bumper lemon crop in his orchard at Sakhipur in Tangail. He expects to sell lemons worth about Tk 3 to 4 lakh during the month of Ramadan. Many people come to see his orchard every day, and his success has encouraged unemployed young people in the area to take up lemon growing too. Rana has planted his orchard on 5 acres in Pratima Banki East Para village of the upazila.

Rana was once a burden on his family. He went out every morning looking for work. One day, wandering in a neighbouring area, he saw Muslim Uddin's lemon orchard and began to dream of an orchard of his own. He first planted lemons on 2 acres in his village and got a good yield from the start. Since then he has expanded the orchard every year. His lemons are tasty and very juicy, so they are in high demand.

Local people say Sakhipur is a hilly upazila whose red soil and climate suit lemon growing. Many farmers here are making a profit from lemons, and Rana Hamid grows them over a large area. They say that with government patronage, lemons grown in the area could also be exported.

Farmer Bellal said many people had started growing lemons after seeing Rana Hamid. "I have made a profit from lemon farming," he said.

Engineer Sujayet Hossain and Abul Kalam, who came to see the orchard, said they had come after hearing Rana's name. "The owner of this orchard is selling lemons at a low price. The lemons in his orchard are very large, tasty and juicy," they said.

Rana Hamid told Jagonews that he started growing lemons about 10 years ago. "At present I sell lemons worth Tk 8 to 10 lakh a year. Lemons are fetching a good price this Ramadan, and I hope to sell about Tk 3 to 4 lakh worth during the month," he said.

He added that all his household expenses depend on the orchard. He grows a seedless variety, and two workers are employed in the orchard regularly. "Lemons do not need much care, there is little trouble with pests and diseases, and the trees bear fruit for a long time," he said.

Shoeb Mahmud, additional deputy director (horticulture) of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Tangail, told Jagonews that lemons had been grown on 2,035 hectares in the district this year, most of all in Delduar, Mirzapur, Madhupur and Ghatail upazilas. Lemon growers are getting good prices this year, and prices are higher because demand rises during Ramadan.

He said a farmer named Rana Hamid in Sakhipur upazila had profited from growing lemons on 5 acres, and the agriculture department was giving him all-round advice and support.

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