6 brothers transform brick kiln into dragon fruit orchard

On a 23-acre land on the bank of Navaganga river in Narail's Kalia upazila, where there was once a brick kiln emitting dark clouds of smoke, now lies a vast dragon fruit orchard.

Considering the kiln's adverse environmental impact, six brothers -- owners of the brick kiln -- decided to transform the place into a dragon fruit plantation in January 2022.

"It was impossible for me to accept the fact that my family owns a brick kiln that is detrimental to the environment. This is what initiated this step," said Morfudul Hasan Palash, youngest of the six siblings and a lecturer of Islamic History at Munshi Manik Mia Degree College in Kalia.

Over 56,000 green dragon trees, blooming with flowers and fruits, currently adorn the land. Employing around 20 workers, the orchard is home to different varieties of the fruit, including Red Velvet, American Beauty, Vietnam Red, Vietnam White, and Palora.

"We invested around Tk 2.5 crore to set up the plantation and are expecting to cash the investment in the first season. We have already sold dragon fruits worth Tk 20 lakh this year and are also selling seedlings to local farmers. The local agricultural department also assisted us whenever necessary," said Palash.

The fruits are cultivated naturally, with fertiliser being applied only once and twice a year, mentioned Palash, adding that the fruits can be harvested from March till December and are sold for the wholesale price of Tk 150-280 per kg, depending on size.

"We get many visitors every day while some locals have started dragon fruit farming with seedlings from us," he further added.

Being invested in the orchard since the beginning, the garden is designed in a way that requires simple maintenance.

"However, proper nurturing is needed to keep the plants free from pests and diseases," said Saddam Hossain, the plant's maintenance worker.

There are 13 dragon fruit gardens, small and big, on 20 hectares of land in the district. However, this one on 70 bighas (23 acres) of land in Kalia is the largest in Khulna division, said Dipak Kumar Roy, deputy director of Department of Agricultural Extension in Narail.

"Considering the environment, the college teacher [Palash] has taken a wonderful and praiseworthy initiative. This fruit has anti-cancer properties and is rich in antioxidants," he added.