Two young agricultural entrepreneurs named Ruhul Amin Liton andMohammad Sofiqul Islam have achieved success in Strawberry cultivation commercially in Jibannagar Upazila of Chuadanga.
Ruhul Amin Liton has cultivated strawberry as a mixed crop with dragon on 40 bighas of land at Khayerhuda village in Jibannagar upazila on a commercial basis.
He has achieved incredible success in this mixed fruit cultivation.
He started to cultivate strawberries in the month of November, 2022 and planted 90,000 saplings of strawberry as mixed cultivation with dragon. Out of the strawberry plants about 70,000 plants are in the field. The Remaining 20,000 plants died due to adverse weather and fungal diseases.
He also said, the plants blossomed in the month of January this year. He has harvested 24,000 kgs of strawberry from February to up to date.
"In the first week of January 2023, flowers started to bloom. After a few days, the fruit started coming out. Strawberries can be collected from the end of January to the middle of April. Those are being sold at Tk 500-500 per kg in the market. Strawberries are sent to fruit shops at Karwan Bazar in Dhaka," he said.
"It costs Tk 70,000-80,000 to cultivate strawberries on every bigha of land. So far, I have spent Tk 35 lakh. Ripe fruits have to be covered with plastic cups and regular care of the orchard is a must. Every day 250-350 kg of fruits are being plucked from the orchard. People are coming to the orchard every day to see the strawberries," said Riton.
Production target has been fixed from 600 grams to 1000 grams per plant of strawberry as over 40,000 kgs of strawberry production may be achieved from the plants. The value of the produced strawberry will be at tk. 40, 00,000. Wholesale businessmen from Dhaka and Khulna are coming in the garden to buy the fruits, sources added.
Some unemployed youths of the area have been involved to work in the fruit field as labor. As a result they are bearing the expense of their family members. On average 60 laborers have been working daily in the field.
Another entrepreneur, Mohammad Sofiqul Islam, son of Fazlur Rahman of Mamuzzuma village in Sadar upazila of Chuadanga district has cultivated strawberries at his village on 2 bighas of land this year.
He planted 3500 saplings of strawberry on 1.75 bighas of land but its production target was not achieved. But he earned his invested capital by selling these strawberries.
According to the District Agriculture Extension Department, strawberry cultivation has started in the district this year for the first time. Two entrepreneurs named Ruhul Amin Riton and Safiqul Islam have cultivated strawberries on 41.75 bighas of land at two villages in Sadar and Jibannagar upazila commercially.
Strawberry has become a
profitable crop in the country due to being an unconventional and high-value fruit. The nutrient-rich and juicy fruit has a huge demand in the country's market.
