<i>Kulboroi</i> brings fortune for Sirajganj youth
A worker tending Ranju's plum orchard at Protab village in Ullapara upazila in Sirajganj.Photo: STAR
Here is a success story of an unemployed young man who became rich by producing plums within a short period. Abdus Salam Ranju, son of Omar Ali at Protab village in Ullapara upazila was once an unemployed youth but he turned himself into a model to others when he earned lakhs of taka by selling plums. After his graduation in 1984, Ranju opened a medicine shop at Ullapara upazila headquarters. In 2000, a gang of armed robbers looted cash and medicine from his shop. Since then he had been passing hard days along with his family members. At that time he came in touch with the upazila agriculture officer who encouraged him to raise a high yielding plum (popularly known as Kulboroi) garden at his village in 2004. He expanded his garden after getting a good yield of Kulboroi and earning profit by marketing the mouth-watering fruit. In 2006, he planted 900 high yielding plums on his five bighas of lands. The plants were collected from Bangladesh Agriculture University (BAU) in Mymensingh and different tree fairs. Some of the plants were of Indian and Taiwanese origin. On receipt of high yield of apple shaped Kulboroi named Apple-kul and BAU-kul, he marketed his produce and earned Tk 5 lakh in the months of January, February, March and April last year. Ranju's story was published on different newspapers including The Daily Star. Following the publicity, many people from different areas of the country contacted him and showed interest to set up such gardens. Being doubly encouraged, a project covering 37 bighas of lands was undertaken by Ranju at his village in name of Omar and Sons. He invested his earnings amounting to Tk 5 lakh in the project which included a nursery and a hatchery. Various high-yielding Kulboroi grafts are now available at his nursery. Besides, Ranju produced high- yielding brinjal, onion and radish on his own lands under the project. Olive and lichi have also been planted there. At present, he planted 1,300 high-yielding Kulboroi plants at his garden and he expects to collect around 500 maunds of Kulboroi from his garden this season. While visiting his project at Protab village this correspondent found ripe mellow fruits at his garden. He expects to earn at least Tk 20 lakh this season by selling Kulboroi and Tk one and a half crore by selling grafts in the coming rainy season. He cultivated fish in nine ponds and expects to earn Tk 15 lakh by selling fish in the coming Bangla months of Fulgun and Chaitra. At present, about 30 workers are working under the project. He and his brothers supervise the project work. Ranju has requested to this correspondent to spread a message to the youths for not depending on jobs but to change their lots by their own efforts.
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