Sajjad Hossain's Coffee Seedlings and Coffee Venture

About

Agriculturist Sajjad Hossain of Nalitabari, Sherpur, is the main driver of coffee growing in the border villages. After a master's in biotechnology at Bangladesh Agricultural University he became an agriculture officer and grew interested in coffee while posted in Ruma; in 2021 he brought five kg of coffee cherries to the Khalbhanga area of Nalitabari, began raising seedlings and left his job to focus on coffee. Seedlings are now raised year-round on his own 12 acres, at a cost of Tk 20 each. Over four years he has given 50,000 coffee plants free to interested farmers. More than a hundred farmers in 22 villages of Nalitabari, Jhenaigati and Haluaghat now grow coffee; through his own enterprise he buys their coffee cherries, and he arranges training with the agriculture office. The roasted coffee is sold in coffee shops in Mymensingh, Dinajpur, Bogura, Cox's Bazar, Sreemangal and Dhaka.

Products and services

• Coffee seedlings

  Cost Tk 20 each to raise; he has distributed them free to farmers

• Roasted coffee

  The report says packaged roasted coffee from the area sells at Tk 2,000 a kg (not stated as this enterprise's own price)

Address and hours

To learn or to work here

• Teaches

  Arranges training for coffee farmers with the agriculture office.

• Gives advice