Naogaon man finds success in wood apple farming

NAOGAON, July 24: After years of unsuccessful attempts to secure a government job, a young graduate in Naogaon turned to farming and has found success through commercial cultivation of wood apple, inspiring other educated youths  including his brother to consider agriculture as a viable source of income.

Anichur Rahman Pilot and his younger brother Atikuzzaman Sabuj, sons of retired schoolteacher Afzal Hossain of Chhatardighi Village under Kaligram Union in Raninagar Upazila, have established what agriculture officials say is the area's first commercial wood apple orchard.

Pilot said he graduated in 2013 and spent years preparing for government recruitment examinations. After crossing the age limit for public service jobs, he began exploring alternative livelihood options.

His interest in wood apple farming grew after earning Tk 5,000 from a mature tree near his home in the first year and around Tk 8,000 the following year through better care and management.

Encouraged by the returns, the two brothers established a three-bigha orchard in 2019 with technical support from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE). Sabuj, who completed a diploma in agriculture and is pursuing higher studies, collected 150 grafted saplings of the BARI Kadbel-2 variety from Rangamati and planted another 100 local seedlings.

Pilot said they sold wood apples worth around Tk 90,000 from 70 trees last year and expect sales of Tk 1.5 lakh to Tk 2 lakh this year.

"We have invested more than Tk 1 lakh in establishing the orchard. Once all the trees reach full production within the next two to three years, we expect an annual income of Tk 6 lakh to Tk 7 lakh," he said.

He described wood apple cultivation as relatively inexpensive and easy to manage, urging educated unemployed youths to explore entrepreneurship in agriculture instead of relying solely on government jobs.

Raninagar Upazila Agriculture Extension Officer Zahidul Islam said this is the first commercial wood apple orchard in the upazila.

"The soil, climate and weather of the area are highly suitable for wood apple cultivation. With modern farming practices, the crop has strong commercial potential," he said, adding that the agriculture department is providing regular technical assistance to the farmers.

Agriculture experts say the growing demand for nutritious indigenous fruits, coupled with the medicinal and nutritional value of wood apple, is creating new market opportunities. They believe planned cultivation and efficient marketing could make the fruit a profitable cash crop in the country's northern region while serving as a model of self-employment for educated youths.