Ahiduzzaman, a farmer in Panburia village of Sharsha, Jashore, is on the way to fulfilling his dream by growing Ramrangan oranges. He claims he was the first to grow this tasty orange in the district's soil, opening up great potential for the crop. He says Ramrangan grown in Sharsha is sweeter and tastier than Ramrangan imported from China or any other country. After growing various mangoes, jujube, grapes, oranges, dragon fruit, strawberries, malta and litchi, he has now succeeded with Ramrangan. Alongside his nursery business, he took up the fruit as a hobby and now dreams of becoming self-reliant through it.

In the orchard, eye-catching small yellow oranges hang among the green leaves, and many have already ripened. Ramrangan is a variety of orange. Its advantage is that the fruit does not drop from the tree after it matures and can stay on the tree for a month after ripening. The fruit is widely grown in India and China. It has also yielded well in Ahiduzzaman's orchard, and people from the area and far away come to see it, some taking photographs.

Ahiduzzaman told Jagonews24 that in 2022 he watched a television report about foreign fruits being grown in Bangladesh. That February he leased 2 bighas for 10 years and planted 196 Ramrangan China orange saplings, not even knowing what kind of fruit they would bear. Some fruit came in the first year and, because it tasted very good, he grafted from it. In the second year the trees were full of fruit.

He said his first year's fruit sold for Tk 1 lakh 66 thousand and this year sales will reach Tk 8–10 lakh, which gave him confidence. Growing the crop on 2 bighas cost Tk 80,000 in the first year. Saplings can be planted at any time of year, with irrigation needed in the dry season. The fruit is usually harvested between November and January. A little care brings success, and pest attacks are few. A mature tree can give one and a half to two maunds of oranges a season, and he hopes for two maunds per tree next season. The orchard is busy with visitors almost every day.

Ahiduzzaman, who owns Jisan Nursery beside the Kuchemora bus stand on the Navaran–Satkhira highway, said: "I had success with mango, guava, malta and jujube before. Then I prepared the leased land for Ramrangan oranges. Instead of spending huge sums to go abroad, I advise young, unemployed and educated people to plant Ramrangan orchards."

He said: "Ramrangan saplings mainly bear fruit within two years and can live for 20–25 years. The orchard, which started on two bighas, has now grown to four bighas. Through my nursery I am raising and selling Ramrangan saplings at Tk 60 each. Many people are planning orchards with saplings from here."

Abdul Majid, a fruit trader in Jhikargachha, said: "There is huge demand in the country for the China variety of Ramrangan orange. Importing it costs VAT and expenses almost equal to the price of the fruit. I can sell the local fruit well even at Tk 100 a kg and make a good profit."

Sharsha upazila agriculture officer Dipak Kumar Saha said: "The weather and soil of Sharsha upazila are suitable for growing various local and foreign fruits. If saplings are planted in sandy loam in June–July, fruit will come in January–February. But bagged saplings can be planted at any time with irrigation."

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