A growing number of enthusiastic farmers have developed themselves as successful entrepreneurs through dragon farming in Chougachha upazila of Jashore due to its suitable climate conditions and topography.
Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit that’s low in calories and high in fiber and antioxidants. The plant is native to southern Mexico and Central America but now it is grown in Bangladesh as well.
Many farmers have recently switched to dragon fruit farming which partially reduced vegetable production in the upazila. As a result, the prices of vegetables have increased significantly this year.
Upazila Agriculture Office sources said that the total amount of cultivable land in Chougachha is around 26,919 hectares. Out of them, cropland is 22,500 hectares.
Vegetables are produced on 3,900 hectares of land. Fruits are produced on 1,864 hectares of land while mangoes are produced on 660 hectares of land.
Many unemployed youths, businessmen and expatriates have started commercially producing various fruits including dragon fruit expecting profits.
According to sources, a few years ago, there were only a handful of dragon farmers in the upazila but currently, the dragon is being cultivated on about 400 hectares of land.
According to the farmers, the area of dragon fruit cultivation is quite large compared to the local fruits. Besides, there are 85 hectares of litchi gardens and 85 hectares of Jujube in the upazila. Apart from this, other fruits are cultivated on about 600 hectares of land.
Kabir Hossain, Ainal Hossain, BM Siddiqur Rahman, vendors of vegetables in the Chougachha market, said vegetables were once cultivated in the lands where now farmers cultivate dragon, malta, guava, litchi and plum. Farmers are currently more inclined towards Malta and dragon cultivation decreasing the production of vegetables in the last few years, they said.
Around six years ago, a large amount of “baukul” (plum) cultivation started commercially in the upazila as was profitable in the beginning. Later, as the demand in the market decreased, baukul cultivation decreased and the cultivation of guava started. After that, dragon farming started.
Once a fruit garden is planted on a piece of land, it can produce fruits for at least 10 to 12 years.
Six years ago, Ismail Mia, an educated youth of Arsinagor village of the upazila, started cultivating the first variety of foreign the fruit in the upazila. Since then, several individuals have started breeding dragons as a hobby.
Initially, the cultivation of this fruit started in the yard of the houses or fallow land, but gradually it expanded. Apart from this, litchi and mango have been cultivated in a small amount of land since long ago.
Earlier Chougachha was stated as the capital of vegetable production, but now buyers cannot buy any vegetable below Tk60 per kg. One of the reasons is the decline in production, farmers explained.
Mahabubur Rahman of Ramakrishnapur village who returned from abroad 7 years ago, has cultivated dragon and malta on 7 bigha land which was vegetable fields earlier.
Habibur Rahman, a prominent seedling trader in Chougachha market, said that besides the seedling business, he cultivated dragon and malta on 10 bighas of land. Earlier this land used to produce different types of vegetables, he said.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Musabbir Hossain said, “As the cultivation of fruits has increased, the land for vegetable cultivation has actually started decreasing. Initiatives are being taken to increase vegetable cultivation. We are advising them to boost vegetable production.”
