The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Panchagarh

The number of nursery has been increasing in the district following achievement made by the rural people in recent years.

The business has already gained popularity as running such business has been proved to be very profitable. About 1,500 private owned nurseries have been set up and about 5,000 skilled and non-skilled workers are working in these nurseries.

To preserve ecological balance, the government has also taken up massive tree plantation programme. Under the programme, different species of trees are being planted besides of highways and on the premises of government offices and educational institutions. The government nurseries were established in every upazila headquarters under the supervision of Department of Agricultural Extension Department (DAE). Saplings of various species of trees are being supplied to the interested persons from the upazila level government nurseries.

Plantation of fruit-bearing and medicinal plants including mango, jack-fruit, segun, mehagani, shal, babla, bay, leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, guava, grapes, leechi, black berry, jamrul, pomegranate, eucalyptus, shilkrai, shishu and other trees has created huge responses among the people of the district.

The small traders collect saplings from the private nurseries at a cheaper price and sell those in the hats and bazars of the rural areas. The wholesale price of a sapling is ranging from Tk 5 to 15 according to demand and quality.

Grapes are also being cultivated in the private nurseries at Satkhamar and Kamatpara and different species of flower and rabid trees saplings are available in these private nurseries.

The owners of the nurseries urged the government to provide interest free loan for patronization of the private nurseries.

Akhbar Ali, 45, has set up an example as a means of survival by maintaining a nursery at Satkhamar in Atowari upazila.

Akhbar established the nursery at his own initiative in 1988 on five decimals of land with 40 to 50 varieties of different plants. Now his nursery has been expanded and there are about 150 varieties of different types of saplings, including fruit- bearing trees and medicinal plants.

There are three lakhs saplings in his nursery including mango, Jack-fruit, segun, mehagani, shal, babla, bay, leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, guave, grapes, leechi, black berry, jamrul, pomegranate, eucalyptus, shilkrai, shishu, tejpata, daruchini, elachi, neem, segun etc.

His yearly net income is about Taka 75,000 from the nursery. As many as 1,500 other enthusiastic individuals took up the profession of nursery in the district.