Mandarins bring hope to farmers

Sweet, sweet mandarins, locally called “komola” are proving a hit among Moulvibazar farmers. With a strong harvest and particular good taste, the size and number of mandarin orchards is increasing, especially in Juri upazila which has a long association with the citrus fruit's cultivation.

“I have made handsome profits from growing the fruit over the last few years,” says mandarin grower Javed Miah, 29, of Juri's Hayacherra village. “Good demand and reasonable prices bring us hope; and last year I expanded my orchard as a result.”

Fellow growers Muktar Mia, 27, and his wife Husna Begum, 23, from the same village have also achieved a good return, earning over Tk 3 lakh from mandarins this year. “We started growing mandarins two years ago,” says Husna. “Before that my husband was unemployed and I worked in somebody else's garden.”

“At first we weren't sure if we were growing it properly,” she recalls, “but later a relative gave us useful advice and nowadays mandarins have made us financially self-reliant.”

That relative, Ibrahim Ali, has grown mandarins for the last nine years. “Many farmers take advice from me,” he says, “and a good number of them used to be unemployed. But good prices have encouraged them to grow mandarins.”

Ibrahim believes proper training, financial and technical assistance could help the local industry further expand. But times are good. “It's nice to see an expansion in mandarin groves in our area,” he says.

According to Juri's agriculture officials, the upazila hosts 415 mandarin orchards across its six unions. Total upazila production has risen from 145 tonnes in 2014-15 to 300 tonnes in the 2015-16 fiscal year.

Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) officials note mandarin cultivation was first introduced to the area via their project initiatives starting in 2001 and continuing until 2008. During this initial phase growers received particularly comprehensive support.

Juri Upazila Vice-Chairman Kishor Roy Chowdhury Moni believes mandarins are suitable to grow in larger quantities in the upazila and can be pivotal in improving the economic circumstances of the struggling area. “Growers have requested government support including the provision of quality saplings, relevant training and the latest technology.”

According to Moulvibazar's deputy director of the DAE, Mohammad Shahjahan, many farmers who were once insolvent and have passed through difficult years have improved their lot thanks to mandarins.

“Though small in size, local mandarins are very tasty,” he says. “We have about 99 hectares devoted to orchards in the area. We provide growers with the assistance they need to make their orchards a success.”