The cultivation of BARI Malta-1 variety has become very lucrative recently for unemployed educated youths in four upazilas of Chuadanga district as it holds a great scope of gaining high profit from farming this fruit variety.
According to Chuadanga district office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), about 635 educated youths of the district have been engaging themselves with RARI Malta-1 cultivation avoiding government jobs this year but 290 were cultivating it last year. Before starting the cultivation most of them were unemployment.
Over 127 hectares of land have been taken under the farming of BARI Malta-1 variety in the district this year where as 58 hectares of land were cultivated last year. Total production target of Malta this year has been fixed about 1206.5 metric tons that target has achieved. The upazila wise breaks up are 18 hectares of land with 171 metric tons production in Sadar upazila, 60 hectares land of land with 570 metric tons in Damurhuda upazila and 03 hectares of land with 28.5 metric tons in Alamdanga upazila.
Sajol Ahmed, a Malta grower of village Manikpur in Jibannagar upazila of the district said he started BARI Malta-1 cultivation from 2019. At present he is owner of 4 bighas of land for cultivating the variety.
He also stated that the produced Malta was sold at Tk 612,000 from the cultivation land. Now he is going to contact with Malaysia very soon for exporting the item. Sohan, Diploma in Agriculture, inhabitant of Chuadanga Mohila College Para in the district town and Malta cultivator, said he started his career through cultivation of Malta at village Bujrurgargori under municipal area of the town in 2018 when he was unemployment. Now his parents and family members are happy for providing himself in a good job.
It is learnt, BARI Malta-1 an extra-ordinary produced from sweet orange of Horticulture Research Center of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute first introduced in 2003. It is learnt, the Malta cultivation has been started in Chuadanga district since 2007. The tree started blooming within two or three years of plantation. Then Malta could be harvested within three months. Each trees beard 150 to 200 in a year. Flowering stage of BARI Malta-1 is between March and April and farmers can harvest it during September-October as it takes nine months to mature, sources added.
Agricultural expert said farmers are interested in cultivating BARI Malta-1 as the fruit variety is very juicy and tasty and it could be more profitable for farmers, especially for small and marginal ones. Umme Atika Mollik Akhi, Nutritionist and Health Educator of Chuadanga Diabetic Hospital said the fruit is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, Nutrients include potassium, vitamins, folate and magnesium. So it helps to protect against diseases like anemia, joint pain, bleeding gums and loss of teeth.
Dr. Md. Abdul Mazed, Deputy Director of Chuadanga Agriculture Extension Department told the Bangladesh Post Correspondent, local agriculture department advised and suggested the Malta growers for using cow dung composed fertilizer and earth worm composed fertilizer in land of Malta yield for becoming sweet and juicy. This result is fruitful.
He again said, Deputy Director of Chuadanga Agriculture Extension Department also said, he has visited some Malta cultivation field and found that farmers and growers have been following all kinds of the department instruction for cultivation of Malta and getting benefit.
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