Dinajpur is known as the district of paddy. But in addition to traditional paddy cultivation, farmers in Birampur area are now inclined towards high value fruits and crops. Starting from profitable vegetables, variety of high-value fruits including mango, litchi, guava, banana, malta and dragon fruits are being cultivated as farmers of the area are currently leaning towards fruits and vegetable cultivation.
According to the Department of Agriculture, although only paddy and a few vegetables were cultivated in the area earlier, cultivation of various varieties of fruits has started in Birampur Upazila recently. At present, mango is being cultivated commercially on 110 hectare land, litchi on 100 hectare land, guava on 41 hectare land, banana on 90 hectare land, jujube on 20 hectare land, malta on 8 hectare land, dragon fruits on 4 hectare land and high value vegetables on 1280 hectare land.
Aminur Rahman, a farmer from Harekrishtapur village in the upazila, said he cultivates vegetables on about 10 bighas of land besides paddy. He earns more from vegetable cultivation than from paddy. He earns about 3 lakh Tk a year from vegetable cultivation excluding all expenses. Sakhawat Hossain Minu, a farmer from Mangalpur village in the same area, said he has planted malta, dragon and litchi orchards. In this, he is getting more profit than other crops.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Nikchan Chandra Pal said that besides traditional farming, farmers are now inclined towards high value fruit crops. Seeing the success in this, others are also building new gardens. With the overall advice of the Department of Agriculture, the cultivation of high value fruit crops is constantly increasing.