The New Nation - Internet Edition

BUSINESS REPORT

RANGAMATI--Coffee cultivation has been gaining popularity among farmers in Bangladesh's three hill districts under mixed crop cultivation project.

Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board started the nine-year project with a view to popularize some non-traditional value added crops like coffee, orange in Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachhari districts.

So far, coffee has been produced in 400 gardens in Ruma upazila of the district. Besides, it has been cultivated in Sajek and Borkol of the district and Ramgarh and Panchhari of Khagrachhari district.

Mac Foundation collected the coffee from the farmers and has started its processing and marketing.

Abul Hossain, a coffee farmer of Ruma upazila, said 5 kg of coffee beans could be produced from each tree and 500 grams coffee could be collected after processing 1 kg coffee beans.

Hill Tracts Development Board sources said coffee plants bear flowers in February-April and matured seeds are available in December-January.