Plum cultivation gaining popularity

Cultivation of plum, especially baukul and apple kul varieties developed by Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), is gaining popularity in Sharsha upazila under the district.
Seeing its profitability in recent years, increasing number of farmers, especially youths, are engaging in plum cultivation.
Around five hundred farmers are cultivating different varieties of plum including baukul and apple kul and the agriculture department provides technical and other support for the farming, said Hirok Kumar Sarkar, upazila agriculture officer.
Khurshed Alam, 45, of Samata village of Sharsha upazila has raised three orchards comprising eight bighas of land near his house where he cultivates baukul, apple kul and narkel kul.
"I expect profit of Tk 3-4 lakh this year," said Khurshed, who started the fruit cultivation ten years ago.
Moni Begum of Shyamalgachhi village, who has cultivated the fruit on one bigha of land, said, "I have already sold plums worth over Tk 35,000 this year while the production cost was Tk 15,000."
Many others including Rexona Khatun of Kashiadanga village, Ahsan Habib and Shafiuddin of Gotipara village, and Shahidul Islam of Gogha village, have similar success stories of commercial plum cultivation.
After meeting the local demand, large quantities of plum is sent outside, including Dhaka, Barisal and Satkhira.
Farmers said a considerable amount of the fruit gets damaged after dropping off the trees, said farmers.
Plum cultivation would be more profitable if the government authorities arrange proper training and technical support for its cultivation, safe preservation and marketing, they said.