After ups and downs in contracting and broiler farming, a farmer in Gazipur turned to papaya on his father's advice and changed his fortunes. It began in the homestead yard: one or two papaya trees that grew by themselves beside the dung heap bore fruit for two or three years in a row, and that inspired him, Dinajpur TV's agriculture desk reported.
Guided by his father, he planted 105 seedlings on about 10 decimals and made a profit of more than Tk 1 lakh after all costs from that first planting. He then planted 750 seedlings; that orchard covered all the family's expenses and still left a cash surplus of about Tk 7.5 lakh.
His fruit has weighed up to 5.3 kg; most are 2.5 to 3 kg, some 5 to 6 kg. He got his best yields from the local Shahi variety, suited to the area's red soil; a good tree has yielded 8 to 10 maunds in a season, and depending on quality a single tree has sold for Tk 1,500, Tk 2,500 or as much as Tk 3,000.
He says the trees flower two months after planting and the fruit takes about six months to mature; once ripening starts, a tree can be picked for two years. In ten years he says he has been recognised five times for top yields and profits.
Quoting his father, he reckons that Tk 2 lakh spent on papaya brings back at least Tk 3 lakh, and Tk 5 to 6 lakh in a good year. With care, he says, there is little risk of loss, and at Tk 40 to 60 a kilo papaya is a nutritious fruit within ordinary people's reach, unlike costly imports such as apples and grapes.
Photo: Joydeep / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Dinajpur TV
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