Fortune favours the farmer

After completing MBA in 2017, Habib Khan started his career in the ready-made garment sector, only to realise he had a different calling.

"After a while in the job, I could not achieve the financial solvency I was looking for through this profession. My salary was barely enough for my family. So I decided to switch to commercial farming," he said.

Habib was still employed when he started cultivating papaya and banana on his ancestral land last year.

"I decided to quit the job early this year and return to the village permanently," said the 32-year-old from Kalianpara village under Gajaria union in Tangail's Sakhipur upazila, who is now a role model for others in his hometown.

Starting his journey with YouTube videos and advice from others engaged in agriculture, Habib decided to cultivate cash crops. His family did not own enough land for this kind of farming.

"With financial aid from relatives, I leased around nine acres of land and established my farm, Khan Agro," mentioned Habib.

He is now invested in the cultivation of black sugarcane, an exotic crop variety of the Philippines, alongside growing moringa, lemon, papaya, and plantains, and rearing fish in a pond.

So far, Habib has invested Tk 30 lakh in his farm, a significant amount of which he plans to cash this year. Around 18-20 local workers are currently working on a daily basis for him.

"We produced 10,000 pieces of black sugarcane this year, spending Tk 8 lakh, and expect to earn double the investment. I plan to sell one-third of the production raw while the rest will be processed to produce molasses," he said.

Meanwhile, Habib has already started selling bananas and papaya, as these two products earned him double his investment last year. He also plans to expand his farm's operations next year using modern agricultural methods.

Niyonta Barman, agriculture officer of the upazila, lauded Habib's effort.

"The hilly lands in the upazila are very fertile. Local agriculture officials are providing necessary advice to Habib regarding his farming initiative," said Niyonta.