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TANGAIL, Feb 04: Plum growers of the district are happy as they got an abundant production and satisfactory price of their crops at the local markets since last couple of years and become self reliant by cultivating it.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Tangail sources said that cultivators of the district brought 496 hectares of land under plum cultivation with the production target of 4,049 tonnes of fruit in the current season.
Growers are farming different varieties of plum in the area such as Baukul, Applekul and local variety. Among them Baukul and Applekul are sweet and local variety is both sour and sweet.
Growers are cultivating the fruit abundantly across the district in the current year. This year farmers of the different upazilas under the district are happy with a good yield of the tasty and delicious local fruits, sources said.
Because of soil and weather in different upazilas of the district including Shakhipur, Bashail, Mirzapur, Modhupur and Sadar upazilas are producing best quality and quantity of plum, Ruhul Amin, a horticulture official DAE, Tangail said.
A plum grower of Shakhipur upazila Innas Miah, son of Hashem Miah of village Pathorkata told The Financial Express that he has been cultivating different varieties of plum in his orchard and homestead for since last few years and earning a good profit by selling his produce at best price.
Witnessing his success many poor and marginal farmers of his area are now showing keen interest in plum cultivation and they are also now become self-reliant by cultivating it, sources further informed.
Momenur Rahman of village Warsi under Mirzapur upazila said that, he has cultivated plum on his 30 decimal of land and a total of 125 plum trees were on that orchard.
A large number of Kul (a variety of plum) growers of the area said they have been cultivating this popular fruit on their homestead as well as other land for many years and selling those at a good price.
Farook Hossain, a DAE Tangail official said that, this is the time for harvesting plum. All varieties of plum have been replete on the plum trees and growers have begun harvesting those.
A plum trader of Soyani Bazaar of the town Azmat Ali said, at present one kg of Baukul is being sold at local market at Tk 60 to Tk 75, one kg of Applekul is being sold at Tk 80 to Tk 100 as per size and quality. But local one is being sold at Tk 100 to Tk 120 per kg. Demand of local one is more than the Applekul and Baukul, he added.
Farmers of the area said, plum cultivation is profitable than other crops and fruits, as cost of cultivation is low. This is the reason behind expanding cultivation of this fruit in the area.
Abdur Razzaque, Deputy Director, DAE, Tangail said, government providing them latest technology, quality saplings, training on cultivation of that type of fruits and field officers are always trying to help growers in every possible way. So farming of it is gaining popularity. High land area is suitable for the farming of it, he added.