Orange farming raises new hopes among CHT farmers
Bumper yield this year but prices are low
Orange cultivation may be a very profitable occupation in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). Many farmers in the hills now think like this seeing a bumper yield of the juicy sweet fruit this year.
Beginning about a decade ago, many orange orchards and mixed fruit gardens have sprung up in Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban hills districts, sources said.
But farmers are not happy as they are not getting fair price of their product.
Lack of proper marketing facility due to bad communication system, selling immature oranges and want of storage facility are the main reasons, some farmers in Rangamati told this correspondent.
Many farmers are compelled to sell immature oranges to meet up their daily necessaries, they said.
Two varieties of oranges are being cultivated in the CHT. One is Khasia, also called local orange and the other is Nagpuri, a hybrid orange of Indian origin, sources in the Agriculture Extension Department of (AED) said.
Demand for Nagpuri orange is higher than the Khasia. A pair of Khasia is being sold at Tk 5 to 7 whereas a pair of Nagpuri is being sold at Tk 15 to 20 in local markets.
“I cultivated orange on a five-acre Jhum land eight years ago. The plants started bearing fruit last year but the yield was less. I got a bumper yield this year”, said Noren Chakma of Naniachar.
“I got Tk 8,000 so far and the oranges in my orchard will earn me more Tk 15,000,” he said.
Another farmer Kirtimoni Chakma of Bilaichhari said all his 300 plants bore fruit this year in p0lenty. But he lamented that he is compelled to sell the half-ripen oranges as those are withering in large scale in trees. I do not know the reason.
“So far I sold Tk 5000 oranges but all my hopes have been dashed as the fruits are withering in threes”, he said.
DAE sources said, there are orange gardens in nine out of 10 upazilas in the district. The exception is Kawkhali upazila where such gardens are yet to be raised, they said.
About 114 hectors of land on hill slopes have so far been brought under orange cultivation only in Rangamati.
Total production in the current season may be 1294 tonnes whereas it was only 326 tonnes last season.
DAE sources said an orange tree start bearing fruits within five to seven years after plantation. Threes growing from grafted plants however bear fruit within a year after plantation. An orange tree usually bear fruits for 50 to 70 years at a stretch, they said.
Romoni Kanti Chakma, DAE horticulture development officer, said farmers are yet to learn orange gardening properly and they do not inform agriculture officials about problems. The yield will increase if they are trained, he said.
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