The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rangpur

Fruit cultivation has become a lucrative and profitable venture in northern region that helped many poor women to become self-reliant.

Hundreds of women are engaged in farming at least 80 varieties of high valued and traditional fruits in their lands, officials of Agricultural Department said.

Among them Kamrunnahar Begum, 47, is one of the fruit farmer who could improved her standard of living. She said fruit farming is a very profitable venture and poor women should come forward to improve their standard of living.

" Rich can purchase fruits from the markets but poor can not so they should produce fruits for meeting their own demand. Human body requires vitamins, minerals and nutritional ingredients that fruits can supply", she said.

Encouraging by women farmers many local affluent people have also entered into the fruit cultivation in the region. Nursery owner Alhaj Shafikul Islam, 65 is one of them. "I earn huge money by selling saplings of different high valued and hybrid variety fruits, wood, medicinal and other trees produced in his nursery every year", he said.

A silent revolution has taken place in his Union Parishad area and many poor people have changed their lots by producing huge quantities of fruits in most of the villages, UP Chairman Hassan Ali said adding that the government should provide support to the women farmers.

"Like other neighbours, I myself sell various variety fruits produced in my garden and homesteads worth over two lakh every year," he added.

UP Chairman Fote Ali Khokan said fruit farming is the most profitable and people of his area. "I have been cultivating 15 varieties of fruits in my own land since last four years and earning a handsome amount of money every year", he said.

Agro-experts Abdul Jalil and Nur Mohammad said people should grow indigenous varieties along with hybrid varieties fruits that have huge nutritional value to meet local demand of all. Rural women community can lead this new movement of fruit cultivation.

Experts are of the view that the government can boost up the fruit sector providing the women of this region proper training, credit support and marketing facilities.