RAJSHAHI, March 9, 2020 (BSS) – Guava farming has become blessings to
many farmers as it has made them wealthy in the region including its vast
Barind tract during the last couple of years.
The farmers after the best uses of modern and high yielding varieties
and technologies have started contributing a lot towards making the region
self-reliant in fruit production through boosting both acreage and yield of
guava.
A silent revolution has happened in farming of high yielding varieties
including Thai guava farming for its gradual rising demands and lucrative
market price everywhere in the region at present.
Farmer Abdul Karim has cultivated Thai guava and he has achieved
extraordinary success. Guava cultivation has made him financially self-
sufficient.
Nurul Islam, another farmer of Parila Ramchandrapur area in Paba
upazila, has already sold guava worth around Taka three lakh and hoping of
selling of more Taka 12 lakh from six bigha of land this season.
He said many farmers and unemployed people are now cultivating the
variety because of its prospects and suitable land condition.
Nazrul Islam, another guava cultivator of village Palpur in Godagari
upazila, said he has been attaining good profit by cultivating guava on
commercial basis for the last several years.
He said, “If farmers use chemical fertilisers, they won’t get guava
round the year and those will not look fresh. The organic method is the
secret under successful guava farming.”
Dev Dulal Dhali, Additional Director of the Department of Agriculture
Extension, said guava is supposed to be the main cash crop in the near future
in the region as its topography and climate condition is very much suitable
for this crop.
He said the crop is being cultivated on more than 5,500 hectares of land
in the region of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore and Chapainawabganj districts
while there are over 1,600 orchards of Thai guava at present.
DAE has given knowledge to the farmers about the cultivation process of
the high yielding varieties.
Ali Hossain, a farmer at Shibpurhat area under Puthia upazila, said he
cultivated Thai guava. At present, over 300 bighas of Thai guava gardens have
been set up at Kakon Haat and Kadamshahar under Godagari upazila and
Shibpurhat area in Puthia upazila.
A guava tree gives fruit for five or six years. A farmer can earn Taka
2.5 lakh to 3 lakh from cultivating Thai guava in one bigha of land after
meeting all expenditures.
Shariful Islam, a farmer of Gobindapara under Baghmara upazila, said
that he has also started Thai guava cultivation for the first time this year.
Per kg Thai guava is being sold at Taka 70 to 130 in the market. Seeing
the fair price, others farmers are becoming more interested in guava
cultivation.
Dr Alim Uddin, Principal Scientific Officer of Regional Fruit Research
Station, said Thai guava is more nutritious than Kazi guava. It is
comparatively big in size and market value is higher than Kazi guava. Per
kilogram of Thai Guava is now being sold at Taka 90 to Taka 120.
“We disseminate modern knowledge and technical support to the farmers to
make farming profitable and sustainable,” he said, adding that many farmers
became self-reliant through the guava farming.
The region has seen a revolution in guava farming. Farmers are now
growing guava on vast tract of land during the last several years
successfully.
Many of them have changed their fate by farming and trading guava in
particular Thai variety in the region with expanding its farming every year.
Around 6,500 farm entrepreneurs are directly involved in Guava
cultivation and most of these people are educated, said Dr Alim Uddin.