KUSHTIA, July 29: The farmers here are expecting bumper production of lemon this year.
Farmers are very much hopeful about getting profit from their produce this season. A good number of farmers have become financially solvent by cultivating the fruit on their croplands and homesteads.
Now they are leading a happy life with three-time meals in a day, sanitary facilities and their children are going to schools regularly and dreaming of a better life.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), more than 20,000 farmers have become solvent by farming hybrid lemon.
Farmer Sukumar Biswas of Akterpur under Khoksa upazila said, "I have changed my condition by cultivating the hybrid lemon. I have around 300 lemon trees in my orchard. I have already earned Tk 80,000 by selling the fruit this year."
Farmer Kabirul Islam of Kumarkali upazila said, he has cultivated the lemon on 20 bighas of land and is waiting for a good profit.
Kuddus Mia, a lemon grower of Daulatpur said, "We are harvesting a bumper production of lemon due to favourable weather condition."
The farmers of the area are interested in lemon farming on more lands due to availability of seeds, fertilisers, insecticides and other agro-inputs in a favourable weather condition, experts said.
The market price and demand for lemon is very good. The farmers have cultivated the hybrid, local and China varieties of lemons.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Kushtia Kinkon Chowdhury said, due to supply of adequate seeds and agro-inputs and congenial weather condition, the lemon cultivation has increased in the region which made the farmers hopeful of attaining a bumper output this season.
Encouraged by good profit, the farmers of the region have been getting more interested in lemon cultivation in recent years, he added.
