Md Harun-ur-Rashid Musa, a resident of Kotchandpur upazila in Jhenaidah, cultivated avocados on six bighas of land in an effort to do something new with this love for farming.

Musa said he has travelled across Bangladesh and eight foreign countries but always returns home as farming remains at the root of his heart.

And despite being a secondary school teacher by profession, he left no stone unturned to reach his goal of being a step apart from traditional farmers.

Avocado originates in the Americas, namely the high-land regions of south-central Mexico and Guatemala.

The fruit, classified as a member of the flowering plant family Lauraceous, is highly popular in Western markets for its medicinal properties and unique flavour.

The fruit is highly popular in Western markets for its medicinal properties and unique flavour

Musa said he was inspired to farm avocado after seeing a report by Dr Enamul Haque, former director general of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), on YouTube in 2019.

"I met him later and as per his advice, I started farming avocado," he added.

Musa went on to say that his first harvest in 2021 was not sufficient for commercial purposes and so, he distributed them among friends and relatives and also ate some himself.

But since then, his farm has come to include 250 avocado plants, 50 of which now bear fruit.

With minimal input costs, avocado cultivation is inexpensive but produces huge profits as once the plant matures after three years of planting, it can bear fruit for the next 100 years if appropriately cared for.

Besides, each plant yields between 200 and 1,000 fruits per year.

"I will start my harvest from August 15 and end it in the last week of September," said Musa, who expects yields of around 35 to 40 maunds from his 50 fruit-bearing plants.

"I will provide these fruits to some super shops in Dhaka and as they are more profitable compared to traditional crops, they could sell for about Tk 600 to Tk 700 per kilogramme," he added.

Musa's success has not gone unnoticed by the locals as some of them have contacted him for saplings.

For example, Humayun Kabir and Saidur Rahman, also farmers of Kotchandpur upazila, have asked for 200 plants each.

Rahman said that as avocado farming is far more profitable than it is costly, he will sow 100 plants next year.

Dr Md Ashrafuzzaman Jahid, associate professor of the department of nutrition and food technology of Jashore University of Science and Technology, said the minerals present in avocado help regulate nerve functions and move nutrients into cells while taking away waste.

"Avocados are a great source of nutrients and they can help lower cholesterol. Plus, they can keep you satisfied for longer," he added.

Like other high-fat foods, avocados are calorically dense, meaning there are a lot of calories per gram. A serving of 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of avocado clocks in at 160 calories, according to the USDA.

Asgar Ali, deputy director of the DAE in Jhenaidah, said the soil quality in the district is very suitable for avocado farming.