Turning barren char land into big banana orchard

Shamim Ahmed along with another person tends banana plants at his orchard raised on an 80-bigha field in the char area of Shara village in Ishwardi upazila under Pabna district. PHOTO: STAR

Shamim Ahmed, an agriculture diploma holder hailing from Puratan Ishwardi village of Ishwardi upazila under the district, has set a laudable example by raising a large banana orchard on a char (landmass emerged from riverbed) area of Shara village in the same upazila.

In March this year, Shamim employed labourers to remove kashban from 80 bighas of leased land on the char area and prepared it for banana cultivation.

He named the farm 'Banglar Krishak-Krishi Khamar'.

"My father, who once cultivated banana, inspired me to use the vast unused char land for growing the popular fruit. I have planted 27 thousand trees on the 80-bigha field. I have already spent Tk 15 lakh for the purpose and more 5 lakh would be spent before harvesting of the fruit. Around 24 thousand trees of my orchard are likely to produce banana within March-April next year," Shamin said.

“If everything goes well, I hope to sell banana worth Tk 40 lakh from my orchard. In that case my profit will stand at Tk 20 lakh," he said.

“After taking the initiative for banana plantation, Shamim followed the suggestion of agriculture officials and did the farming properly. And so, he is expecting bumper yield,” Md Khurshid Alam, Ishwardi upazila agriculture officer, said after visiting Shamim's farm last week.

Siddikur Rahman Moyez, a gold medallist farmer of Ishwardi upazila, said, "Through his sincere efforts, Shamim has shown how barren char lands can be turned into orchards. If more and more educated people like him get involved in agriculture, the sector will see much development."