DASHMINA, PATUAKHALI, June 19: Experimental commercial grape cultivation in Dashmina Upazila of Patuakhali has brought success for agricultural entrepreneur Kawser Alam Akram, 52, creating widespread discussion in the locality.
Akram, a resident of Bashbaria Village under Bashbaria Union, once worked as a storekeeper in a garment factory in Dhaka. Later, he left his job and returned to his village with a dream of producing unconventional fruits and crops. He was initially inspired to cultivate grapes after watching YouTube videos.
Speaking to The Daily Observer, he said he was motivated by online content on grape farming. He later brought white grape saplings from Jashore and, after seeing initial fruiting, visited a large commercial vineyard in Bagha Upazila of Rajshahi for further learning and inspiration.
He said that last year, during the Bengali month of Ashar, he planted 70 vines of the Bikunur variety on 15 decimals of land beside his homestead. The variety produces brownish-coloured grapes and grows well on slightly elevated land across different regions of the country. It is also capable of producing fruit throughout the year, he added.
“This is the first fruiting season, and the taste is very sweet. Each plant can yield around 15 to 20 kilograms of grapes,” Akram said.
He also added that he has planted around 200 more saplings of several varieties, including Black Magic, Joy Seedless (Black), Green Long, Australian King, Viking-2, Dorina and Choyon. So far, he has spent nearly Tk 2 lakh on cultivation and maintenance.
Although the grapes are reportedly very sweet, he has not sold any produce this year. Instead, he is distributing the fruit among relatives and visitors free of cost.
Akram said he is currently working on expanding the plantation to around 40 more decimals of land with a target of 500 vines.
He added that support from the agriculture department and a government-provided polyhouse could enable him to produce grapes twice a year. “Grapes are sensitive to rain and can crack if exposed to excessive rainfall,” he said.
Meanwhile, the news of his grape cultivation has gone viral on social media, attracting a steady stream of visitors to the orchard.
Local businessman Jahid Hossain, who visited the orchard, said he was impressed by the sight of bunches of grapes hanging from the vines.
“I have long wished to see grapes grown in our own soil. This orchard shows that commercial grape farming is becoming possible here,” he said.
Schoolteacher Sharmin said it felt like a dream to taste grapes freshly picked from vines grown locally.
Associate Professor Md Ujjal Hossain of the Department of Botany at Barishal University said grape is generally a temperate-climate fruit, but modern technology has made it possible to cultivate it in different parts of the world, including Bangladesh.
He said local grape production could reduce import dependency and create new employment opportunities if supported with proper training, market access and government assistance.
Dashmina Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Zafar Ahmed said efforts to cultivate grapes in Bangladesh began decades ago but initially failed due to poor taste and lack of commercial viability.
However, he noted that in recent years, several entrepreneurs have achieved success in grape cultivation in different regions of the country, and Akram’s initiative has opened a new horizon of possibility in Dashmina.
