Dinajpur fruit production to be Tk2,200 crore in 5 years
The annual fruit production in the district is about Tk1,100 crore. People concerned hope that fruit production could double over the next five years
Dinajpur Horticulture Center is producing 65 varieties of local and 225 varieties of exotic fruit saplings and seeds. The seedlings include a variety of exotic fruits such as orange, malta, apple, pear, coffee, cashew, wood nut, dragon, cherry and avocado.
Additionally, 70 exotic varieties of mangoes, three exotic varieties of blackberries, seven exotic varieties of dates, five exotic varieties of oranges and three varieties of pomegranates are being produced here.
People involved said as the saplings produced here have spread in Dinajpur, fruit production here could double over the next five years. And people will get a taste of foreign fruits produced in the country.
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If the yield is doubled in the next five years, the fruit production will stand at around Tk2,200 crore, they added.
Dinajpur Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and Horticulture Center said Dinajpur has produced fruits worth Tk1,096 crore this year, of which only mango production was Tk524 crore while litchi was Tk435 crore. Besides, jackfruit production was worth Tk64.95 crore while guava Tk13.91 crore, coconut Tk9 crore and Jujube Tk6 crore.
Dinajpur DAE said at present 164,269.5 tonnes of various fruits are harvested from 15,474 hectares of land in the district. Of this, mangoes are cultivated on 5,692 hectares of land and production is 80,712 tonnes while Litchi production is 33,484 tonnes from 6,546 hectares of land. Jackfruit production is 21,650 tonnes on 1,008 hectares of land. Java plum production is 291 tonnes on 40 hectares of land while Guava production is 2,782 tonnes on 173 hectares of land.
Which saplings are being produced in horticulture
Dinajpur Horticulture sources said saplings of 65 types of fruits including mango, litchi, blackberry and jackfruit have been produced on 12.35 acres of land in Sadarpur since 2015. Besides, seedlings of 225 different species are being produced here.
Seedlings produced here are Orange, Malta, Apple, Pear, Pomegranate (Bedana), Star Apple, Coffee, Cashew, Wood Nut, Box Nut, Dragon, Cherry, Musambi, Mangosteen, Avocado, Bilombi, Jaboticaba, Eggfruit, Rambutan, longan, Chukur, Istakul and Persimmon.
There are 80 varieties of mangoes, of which 60 are exotic; nine varieties of litchi, of which three varieties (Langdana, China-6 and Bari-4) have not yet expanded; six varieties of berries, of which three are exotic; five varieties of jackfruit, of which three varieties are exotic; eight varieties of Malta, of which seven are exotic; 16 varieties of Guava, of which seven are exotic; seven varieties of date (all exotic), 6 varieties of orange including five exotic, six varieties of jujube including two exotic.
Additionally, there are three varieties of pomegranate (all exotic), four varieties of coconut including three exotic, four varieties of Java Apple including one exotic, two species of avocado, three species of tamarind including one exotic, two species of Langan including one exotic, two species of Amla including one exotic, two species of Sarifa of which one is exotic, exotic Kaufal, exotic Deowa, Thai Orboroi, Thai Sofeda, Thai Grapefruit and various species of trees.
Dinajpur Horticulture Center's Assistant Horticulture Development Officer Imrul Ahsan said since 2015, local and exotic fruit saplings have been brought here and made mother plants. Then grafting is being made from them. Ornamental, herbal and spice plants have also been brought here.
"We hope that plants of these varieties of fruit will spread quickly in the country and people will be able to taste the local fruits as well as exotic ones," he said.
Dinajpur Horticulture Center's Deputy Director Pradeep Kumar Guha said almost all species of potential fruits are being brought here to produce sapling. These seedlings start yielding from next year and good yields can be expected from the third year.
"We are advising farmers and gardeners on how to plant more trees on less land and get better yields as the land of Dinajpur and northern region districts are very fertile."
"If our seedlings can be properly expanded, the amount of cultivable land and production will be doubled in the next five years. With this, many unemployed youths will be self-employed and country's nutritional needs will be met as well," he said.
