Strawberry farmers become self-reliant in Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI, Jan 27: Many farmers have become self-reliant through strawberry farming as its commercial farming has started gaining popularity in the region during the last couple of years
More than 250 farmers have started strawberry cultivation commercially this year.
Strawberry, a succulent fruit popular in different parts of the globe, is also gradually becoming popular among the local people. Farmers' level extension of strawberry farming can bring a new horizon to the agriculture sector in the region, according to field sources.
 The sources at Bangladesh Strawberry Association informed  strawberry cultivation is increasing day by day throughout the country every year, and Rajshahi district is ahead of other districts in farming the fruit.  
The farmers in the district achieved bumper strawberry production during the last couple of years; now the farmers are passing very busy time in taking care of the strawberry plants in their fields, they said.
The farmers have brought around 800 bighas of land under strawberry cultivation which was 700 bighas in the last year, they added.
"Strawberry cultivation is as easy as growing potato or eggplant. Saplings can be planted in rows during the period between November and December every year," said Prof Dr AKM Rafiul Islam of Department of Botany of Rajshahi University.
Illustrating salient feature of strawberry, a high-value cash crop, he said the plants start flowering within one month of plantation and fruits can be collected till March.
"Each plant bears around 250 to 300 grams of fruit and some 6,000 plants can be grown on one bigha of land," Dr Islam said, adding, with farmer-level price of around Taka 600 per kg, the commercially potential fruit will have a bigger market locally and globally and benefit farmers enormously.
Now, a large number of people, mostly unemployed youths, have become dependent on strawberry farming to earn a living, as its cultivation is easier and more profitable than other crops, he said.
The youths are supplying strawberry to different markets across the country as the soft fruit is being used in preparing ice-cream, jam, jelly, pickles, chocolates and biscuits.
While talking with The Daily Observer, President of Bangladesh Strawberry Association and Professor of the Department of Botany at Rajshahi University Prof Dr Manzur Hossain, who is pioneer in the country's strawberry research, variety innovation and growers' level farming expansion, said Bangladeshi strawberry variety has been adjudged as the world's best strawberry.
Strawberry is being cultivated in the country since 1993, he informed.
 "Meanwhile, we have innovated three varieties of strawberry through tissue culture. Strawberry can be a high-value cash crop and can help in removing poverty from the country," he added.
Strawberry grower Monir Hossain of Chaitannapur village under Godagari upazila, said, "I started strawberry cultivation in 2007. This year I cultivated the fruit on five bighas of land. Now, strawberry is selling at Tk 200 to 300 per kg in the local markets. "I am hoping to achieve bumper strawberry yield this year like the previous years," he added.
Rahmat Ali, another strawberry grower of Paba upazila, said, "Strawberry cultivation is easy and a highly profitable one. For this reason, its cultivation is gradually becoming popular among the farmers of different upazilas here. Many unemployed youths are also becoming interested in its cultivation for high profit."