Lemon export promises affluence for growers

Agriculture Extension Department officials with Bulbul (far right) at his lemon garden at Dhidpur. The photo was taken last week.. PHOTO: STAR

The credit goes to farmers in Dhidpur in Bhaluka, who cultivated high yielding variety (HYV) lemon under the supervision of local Agriculture Extension Department (AED) officials.

They earned between Tk 50,000 and 75,000 in one year by cultivating HYV lemon on only 30 decimal land.

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Its cultivation is easy and involves little expenditure but has export prospect because it is very cheap, the AED officials told this correspondent during a visit last week.

Starting last year with inspiration from AED Block Supervisor Mohiuddin, 25 farmers have now taken to cultivation of HYV lemon on lands earlier left fellow.

A token quantity was exported to a Middle East country in January this year AED officials there said. Large quantities will be exported in June-September, the peak production season, they hope. Lemon grows well during rainy season.

A vegetable exporter from Dhaka who bought lemon from farmers in Dhidpur told them that there is good prospect for its export because of its very low price compared to that in Middle East countries. The AED officials also said the HYV lemon evolved by Bangladeshi scientists has good scent and would be likeable in foreign countries.

There is good prospect for expansion of its cultivation in the vast barren lands in Mymensingh region, they said.

Mohiuddin said so far, they trained 25 farmers in scientific cultivation of lemon and supplied them with seeds and fertiliser.

About 240 sapling of lemon plants can be planted on a 30-decimel land. The plants start bearing lemon after about two months.

Farmer Alauddin Sarkar said one plant yields at least 400 lemons in a year. The yield is more in rainy season. Alauddin said he earned Tk 72,540 in about a year from his small lemon garden.

Another farmer, Samshul Huda Akand, said lemon farmers earn extra money by selling grafts. At least 10 grafts can be sold from one plant in the Bangla month of Baishak. Each graft is sold at Tk 10 at the minimum.

Mazharul Aziz said he planted lemon saplings in June last year and plucked around 100 lemons from each plant in September. He earned about Tk 24,000 in four months.

Bulbul Sarkar showed this correspondent his nice and well-nursed garden. All the green plants bore lemon but net to mature. He irrigates the small garden regularly.

Bulbul said he was encouraged by Block Supervisor Mohiuddin to grow lemon.

Agriculture Officer Md Tofazzal Hossen at Bhaluka said HYV lemon can be cultivated on high lands in all areas of the country. This item holds good export prospect because its production is very easy and cost is negligible.