Commercial farming of papaya has been gaining popularity among the indigenous farmers in the district as it is more profitable than other crops.

Around 6,005 hectares of land have been brought under papaya cultivation this year with a production target of 1,38,115 tonnes, said Deputy Director (DD) of Department of Agriculture Extension  (DAE) in the district Altaf Hossain.

Indigenous farmers who used to cultivate jhum are now more interested in papaya cultivation as it can bring good profit with small investment.

It also needs less fertiliser and irrigation compared to jhum, the indigenous farmers said.

Papayas are largely grown at Ruma, Rowangchhari, Thanchi, Lama, and Sadar upazilas of the district, Altaf said.

Mainly two varieties of papaya -- red lady and local -- are being cultivated.

Demand for the local variety is very high in the markets as those are sweet with thick flesh. A papaya tree yields fruits for about three years.

A kilogram of green papaya is being sold at Tk 10 to Tk 12 per piece in the local markets. A big size, ripe high-breed papaya is sold at Tk 50 to Tk 60 while the local variety is only Tk 20 to Tk 40, farmers said.

Lar Nam Kim, 55, of Bethni para under Bandarban Sadar, told this correspondent that she started papaya farming in December last year. She said she spent Tk 50,000 for making the orchard and has already sold papayas worth Tk 25,000, adding that she expects to earn around Tk 1.5 lakh from some 400 papaya trees in her farm.

Pulu Prue Marma, a papaya cultivator at Bagmara area, said he earned Tk 50,000 by selling papaya last year, and expects more this year from 200 trees.

A total of 1,32,000 tonnes of papayas were produced last year and about 12,000 farmers are engaged in papaya cultivation in the district, the DD of DAE said.

Papaya cultivation on commercial basis started in 2002, and is increasing rapidly, he added.

Altaf said papaya and other seasonal fruits are grown there as soil fertility is high in the hilly lands.