Mixed orchard shows promise

Six years ago, when Amir Hossain Mia from Mohonganj village in Barisal's Babuganj upazila returned from working in Dubai, he had a plan to establish an orchard. This he did, dedicating his seventy decimals to mango trees. But rather than only grow mangoes he added lemons as well, a fruit-growing recipe that has proven to be successful, such that he has since established other mixed orchards as well.

“The mangoes started to produce fruit after three years,” Amir recalls. “Then I planted two hundred lemon saplings in the gaps along each line of mango trees. I dug a canal for irrigation and only use organic fertiliser.” He also expanded his orchard on a further twenty decimals of leased land.

This year Amir has already sold thirty maunds of mangoes and three maunds of lemons, representing sales revenue of around Tk 1 lakh.

“Expenses for the mixed orchard are about Tk 30,000. It means there is a Tk 70,000 per annum profit,” he says.

Amir's fruit is popular, especially because it is grown organically. “His fruit is chemical-free and tastier than other fruit,” says Barisal City businessman Pankaj Gupta. “We have bought fresh mangoes directly from Amir's orchard for the past two years.”Anis, a local fruit trader, agrees. “I collect quality fruit from Amir Hossain nowadays,” he says, “to sell in the local markets.” Indeed Amir's fruit is so popular that he's often sold out before it's quite ready to harvest.

“The most interesting feature of Amir Hossain's mixed orchard,” says the deputy director of the horticulture centre in Babuganj, Swapon Kumar Halder, “is the innovative irrigation system that relies on water flow through a system of canals. His orchard is a model for the correct use of organic fertiliser, too.”