Growing tasty amra on unused roadside lands

A fruiting amra (hog plum) tree at Kamal Hossen's roadside plantation at Putiakhali in Rajapur upazila under Jhalakathi district. PHOTO: STAR

A good number of farmers are now engaged in profitable cultivation of hog plum, locally known as amra, using roadside lands for the purpose.

Kamal Hossen Talukder of Putiakhali in Rajapur upazila, who started commercial farming of the plum in the area in 2005, later helped many others to do the same.

"Seeing such farming in Swarupkathi upazila of Pirojpur district, I planted 170 hog plum trees on unused lands beside the road and the boundary lines of land, spending Tk 20 thousand," said Kamal.

"After three years, the trees bore fruits that earned me Tk 60 thousand. Later my yearly earning from selling hog plum stood up to Tk 1 lakh.

“With hardly any investment further, I have been earning from selling the hog plums and it will hopefully continue for 20 more years," he said.

"Hog plum cultivation requires no pesticide and the fruit can be stored for two or three weeks without any preservative. The land of the area is very suitable for growing tasty hog plums," said Kamal.

Md Rezaul Hasan, upazila agriculture officer (acting) of Rajapur, said, “Usually a hog plum tree lives 20 to 30 years. Its cultivation brings good profit for relatively low investment. The buds appear in April and May and the fruits mature in August and September."

As many as 120 farmers are now engaged in commercial cultivation of hog plum on 110 hectares of land in the upazila that produces quality hog plums, he added.