Julfikar finds success in persimmon farming

Persimmon, a Japanese fruit variety, is being cultivated for the first time in the Jessore region, thanks to the favourable growing conditions.

Alongside Japan, China and South Korea are also the top producers of persimmon.

Julfikar Ali, a nursery owner from Hizli village in Jashore's Chowgachha upazila, started persimmon farming experimentally in the area on his seven decimals of land in 2020.

While talking to this correspondent, Julfikar said he has been running nursery business for the last 30 years.

In 2020, he collected 30 persimmon plants for Tk 1,500 to Tk 2,000 each from Natore, after he came to know that persimmon plants are available there.

After three long years, his trees have started bearing fruits this year.

Every single plant is bearing around 400 persimmon fruits, weighing around 70 to 90 grams each, and will continue to provide the fruit for around 25 years.

If someone walks by Zulfikar's plantation, it would seem to him that the trees are holding apples.

With its orange and yellow hue, the fruit also looks a lot like tomato, in fact from the inside it looks quite like ripe tomato when cut. There is no seen inside the fruit, and can be eaten with the peel.

A closer look, however, will reveal that it is an entirely different fruit.

A fruit seller from the capital's Karwan Bazar has express his interest in buying the fruits at Tk 800 per kilogram, but the refused to sell any fruit this year, he added.

"I have a plan to distribute the first yield of this unknown fruit among people of my locality," Julfikar said.

Flowers started blooming in March and the trees borne fruits in August and September.

Julfikar collects seedlings, seeds and trees of exotic varieties of fruits and first made mother trees in his nursery.

Later he produces seedlings from the mother trees and sell those to others.

"I have also produced around 50 saplings so far and sold those among several villagers," he further said.

Shahin Hossain of Madhabpur village in the upazila said he has purchased five saplings from Julfikar for Tk 800 each.

Another Jahangir Hossain, who bought 10 saplings from Julfikar, said this unknown fruit is quite tasty, sweet and juicy.

Dr Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Zahid Hossain, chairman of Department of Nutrition and Food Technology at Jashore Science and Technology University, said persimmons are the national fruit of Japan and the fruit is a good source of potassium, phosphorous and vitamin C.

Chowgachha Upazila Agriculture Officer Mossabir Hossain said they have been supporting Julfikar in farming the rare fruit variety from the very beginning.