On and one and a half feet tall papaya tree papayas weighing 1.5 kg are seen hanging. Only on one Bigha of land there are rows and rows of such papaya trees.
The papaya trees planted on that land are of the more productive and eye-catching hybrid papaya variety named ‘Babu’. Farmer Babul Mia of Moulvibazar’s Khowajpur village along with his son has created a stir in the locality by cultivating this variety of papaya.
The success of hybrid ‘Babu’ papaya farming has gained them a name among other farmers. Seeing such success, many people including unemployed youths of the village are now leaning towards papaya farming, as it is more profitable and costs less.
Babul Mia, of Khoajpur village in Sindurkhan union of Srimangal upazila of the district, started cultivating hybrid ‘Babu’ variety of papaya with his eldest son Ali Hossain Liton on one Bigha of his land. Hundreds of papayas are now hanging on rows after rows of those small papaya trees in his orchard.
Usually after 3 to 4 months of planting the trees, they start bearing fruits. The ‘Babu’ papaya tree grows to a maximum height of one and a half feet and each papaya weigh 1 to 1.5 kg, informed Babul Mia.
Babul Mia collects 2,000 kg of papaya from the garden once a week and sells them in the market. It cost them about Tk 8,000 to cultivate papaya on one Bigha of land. He sells per kg of papaya at Tk 20. The amount of papaya that are still remaining on the tree and the new fruit that are coming to the tree can be sold for more than Tk one and a half lakh, said Babul Mia.
Successful farmer Babul Mia said that there is a crisis of vegetables in the market at this time. So, the demand for papaya in the local market is also good. The production of hybrid ‘Babu’ papaya requires only about 30 to 35 grams of seed per acre of land.
‘Babu’ papaya variety is tolerant to yellow mosaic virus disease. The yield is also good. This variety of papaya can be grown at low cost. Babul is hopeful that if such production continues, he will be able to sell papaya worth more than taka two lakh from his orchard.
Many, including local farmer Moyna Mia, said Babul Mia had succeeded in cultivating ‘Babu’ papaya in a short time. Their success in papaya cultivation is creating a lot of enthusiasm among others. Moina Mia said he has plans to cultivate Babu papaya in the future. Other farmers in the village are also keen to grow this papaya in their fallow lands. Srimangal Upazila Agriculture Officer Nilufar Yasmin Monalisa Sweety said the cultivation of hybrid varieties of papaya has increased in Srimangal Upazila.
Farmers are benefiting in a short time by cultivating hybrid Babu papaya variety. Babul Mia and his son Liton are real proof of that. Following them, many farmers have become interested in papaya cultivation. The Department of Agriculture is imparting various trainings to papaya farmers including how to deal with virus attack on papayas.
Papaya can be cultivated on a large scale in this region if it gets economic support or patronage from the government with easy loans. Unemployed men and women can become self-sufficient by cultivating hybrid papayas in the area, clamed local farmers.
