Abdus Salam, Dinajpur
A fruit he first encountered while working in Abu Dhabi has now become the foundation of a thriving agricultural venture for a young entrepreneur in Dinajpur. Moniruzzaman Rifat, 35, of Jotkrishtapur village in Chirirbandar upazila, has created a successful orchard featuring the exotic ‘wood lychee’ fruit, locally known as kathlichu. His venture has attracted considerable attention in the area, inspiring hundreds of unemployed young people and aspiring entrepreneurs to explore fruit cultivation as a source of income. This season, Rifat has earned Tk 1.05 million by selling kathlichu harvested from more than 100 trees planted across nearly two acres of land surrounding his poultry farm. He also cultivates improved varieties of lotkon in the same orchard, which are being supplied to markets in different parts of the country. He is now preparing to sell 1,000 lotkon saplings produced in his own orchard for the first time and expects to earn more than Tk 100,000 from the sale. Rifat, a resident of Jotkrishtapur village under Bhiyail Union, previously worked as an administrative officer at a company in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. During his stay there, he first noticed kathlichu in a fruit basket at a local market and became interested in the fruit after tasting it. After returning to Bangladesh, he bought 50 improved kathlichu saplings from Chuadanga for just Tk 3,500 in June 2022 and planted them. He later “Kathlichu cultivation is profitable and has great potential. The agriculture department is providing all kinds of advice and technical assistance so that new entrepreneurs can achieve success like Rifat,” she said. Three fishermen abducted by Arakan Army Cox's Bazar Correspondent collected another 75 saplings and planted them around his poultry farm, ‘Messrs Probash Bondhu Poultry and Chokis’. With four to five years of proper care, the trees are now heavily laden with fruit. Rifat's orchard produces two wellknown Vietnamese varieties of kathlichu — ‘Ping Pong’ and ‘Pinkon’. As the fruit is relatively resistant to diseases and requires little pesticide, demand for the produce has risen sharply. The kathlichu and lotkon from his orchard are being supplied to wholesale markets in Dhaka as well as Chattogram and other parts of the country. Lotkon is currently selling for Tk 200–250 per kilogramme. “I sold around Tk 500,000 worth of kathlichu last year. This year, the yield has been so good that I have already earned Tk 1.05 million,” Rifat said. He said 100 saplings sell for Tk 10,000–12,000, depending on their size. “I cannot supply enough saplings to meet the demand,” he added. Recently, Deputy Director of the Dinajpur Department of Agricultural Extension Md Afzal Hossain and Deputy Director of the Horticulture Department Md Ezamul Haque visited Rifat's attractive and successful orchard. Chirirbandar Upazila Agriculture Officer Zohra Sultana said kathlichu, lychee and rambutan are delicious and nutritious fruits belonging to the same family. Kathlichu cultivation is profitable and has great potential. The agriculture department is providing all kinds of advice and technical assistance so that new entrepreneurs can achieve success like Rifat,” she said.
