Jobless youth in Rangpur becomes self-reliant by papaya cultivation

A model papaya farm of Jahangir Alam, inset. PHOTO: STAR

A jobless youth here has become self-reliant by cultivating papaya in an extensive scale.

Jobless Jahangir Alam was passing a miserable life eight years back after getting the graduation degree from Rajshahi University.

He invested money in different kinds of business but incurred a huge loss. At last fortune smiled on him when he decided to cultivate papaya. Now he is the most successful papaya farmer in greater Rangpur and Dinajpur districts.

At first he got a good profit by cultivating papaya on two and a half acres of land. From then on he became more wealthy by cultivating papaya.

Now he earns at least 3,000 taka per day by selling 700 pieces of ripe papaya per day. He has become a model farmer. Other farmers got the inspiration to be self-sufficient by papaya farming from him. He has also employed 23 labourers in his farm.

An Indian variety named 'Shahi' variety of seed suited the soil and climate of Rangpur.

Using this variety of seed he achieved good yield of papaya.

Gradually Jahangir Alam expanded his papaya farm land at Sheikhpara under Sader upzila to six acres.

Now he has decided to expand his farm on 100 acres of land.

According to him extensive training is a must to become a successful papaya cultivator.

So, he urged the government to establish a papaya research centre in Rangpur to provide training to prospective cultivators.

A few banks in Rangpur assured him financial support when he will bring 100 acres of land under papaya cultivation.

He believes that the country may fetch a huge amount of forex by exporting papaya to Europe and America. He also suggested to set up cold storages in Rangpur and Dinajpur region for preservation of the fruit.

He has evolved his own variety of papaya seed which suits most for Rangpur and Dinajpur region. The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Rangpur made an order of five lakh taka to supply one lakh seedlings from his farm, he revealed this correspondent. The DAE will supply the seedlings to farmers in eight upazilas of Rangpur district, he further disclosed.