From 70 jujube trees at Tk 35,000 to a 10-acre orchard: over Tk 8 lakh from 13 mango varieties in a season

Six years ago, a 60-year-old farmer in Khitapchar village, Boalkhali, Chattogram, had mostly fallow land, flooded by saline water at high tide. His two sons, unable to get jobs after higher secondary, decided to build their future on their father's land. They began with Tk 35,000, planting 70 jujube trees; that venture is now a 10-acre farm with about 4,500 fruit trees. This season the orchard had 13 mango varieties from Thailand, Brunei, the United States and China, besides Amrapali and BARI-4. The sons say that when everyone grows the same mango they wanted something different. They never had to go to market; buyers came to the orchard via social media and acquaintances, some picking from the tree and some booking in advance. Selling about 10,000 kg of mango in the season earned over Tk 8 lakh. In the same year guava sold for about Tk 2 lakh, jujube Tk 5 lakh, betel nut Tk 4 lakh, green coconut Tk 1.65 lakh and banana about Tk 1 lakh. Over the past year income was roughly Tk 20 lakh. Four regular workers are employed. A BARI scientist says most foreign varieties are still grown on a limited scale and need more research before large-scale planting.