Golzar Hossain's Bay Leaf and Spice Garden

About

Golzar Hossain (born 1963) of Bajemajkur village in Tepamadhupur union, Kaunia upazila of Rangpur, spent his early life as a day labourer and farm worker. A few months after his marriage, returning from Bogura, he bought 14 bay leaf seedlings and planted them in his yard; within two years he earned Tk 5,000 selling the leaves. With Tk 4,000 of that he leased 80 decimals of land and planted 100 seedlings, with ginger and turmeric in between. His wife and children work alongside him. He now grows spices on two acres and earns Tk 4 lakh a year after costs; with the profits he bought land, built a house and dug a fish pond, and keeps two cows and six goats. Bay leaf farming spread across Kaunia because of him; about a thousand farmers in the upazila now grow it on 883 hectares. He regularly advises farmers on protecting seedlings and trees from disease, and locals call him 'guru'.

Products and services

• Dried bay leaves

  General local market price about Tk 100 per kg (not this garden's own price)

• Ginger

• Turmeric

Address and hours

To learn or to work here

• Teaches

  Regularly advises farmers on protecting bay leaf seedlings and trees from disease

• Gives advice