The young entrepreneur who brought orange farming to Naogaon

Orange farming in Naogaon

Naogaon, Dec 03 - Shafiqul Islam Rana, a young entrepreneur from Naogaon’s Mohadevpur, has achieved remarkable success in farming oranges commercially.

His immaculately maintained orchard, located in Ishwar Laksmipur village, has drawn attention for its high-quality, sweet, and visually appealing oranges.

Five years ago, Rana planted 45 orange tree seedlings on his 10 katha (about 1/3 of an acre) of land. The seedlings, which were sourced from Chuadanga, were planted at a cost of Tk 20,000, covering expenses for the seedlings, land preparation, and maintenance.

While the trees bore little fruit in their first year, they have yielded a bountiful harvest this season. The trees have been producing fruit since the end of July, and the best time to harvest is in November, approximately four months after budding.

Currently, each tree is producing at least 20 kilograms of oranges, meaning that a total of around 900 kilograms of oranges will be harvested from the 45 trees.

These oranges are already being sold in local markets at Tk 200 per kilogram, with some buyers even purchasing directly from the garden. The total revenue from this year's harvest is expected to reach Tk 180,000.

Shafiqul's success has inspired other local entrepreneurs to consider orange cultivation. His elder brother, Ashraful Islam, helps with the upkeep of the garden and notes that orange cultivation is relatively low-cost, requiring only some organic fertilizer, irrigation, and weeding.

Locals like Yunus and Farhad have praised the taste of the oranges, comparing them favorably to imported varieties. "The oranges from Rana's garden are incredibly sweet and delicious," they said, often visiting the garden to sample the fruit.

Abul Kalam Azad, deputy director of the Naogaon Department of Agricultural Extension, highlighted the region's potential for orange cultivation, noting that the soil of Mahadevpur, part of the Barendra region, is ideal for growing oranges.

He said that orange farming involves minimal costs and is highly profitable, with trees requiring only basic care.

“If anyone comes forward to cultivate oranges, the Agriculture Department will provide him with all kinds of advice and support,” Abul Kalam Azad added.-UNB