Papaya farming gains popularity in Panchagarh

Papaya framing has been gaining popularity among farmers in the district for last few years as many farmers found the occupation as an important source of income generation leading to their economic self-reliance.

Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) official sources said cultivation of hybrid variety of papaya with the support of local agriculture department has become popular in the district since 2007.

Many people especially the unemployed educated youth have taken training on papaya farming and are cultivating papayas which contain more nutrition properties than other common fruits.

Papaya cultivation gained popularity particularly in Sonaher, Tapriganj and Sadar upazilas as the soil condition in those area favoured the farmers for good yield of the fruit.

Price of this popular fruit remains unusually high in the local wholesale market, reports BSS.

Presently a maund of papaya is being sold at Tk 2,000 to Tk 2,200 in different kitchen markets of the district.

Many families are farming papaya fruit in their homestead garden considering its economic prospects. Some 550 to 600 saplings can be planted on per bigha land which produces average 500 to 600 maunds of papaya a year.

Upazila agriculture officer of Debiganj Abdulla-Al-Mamun told BSS, papaya plant needs a little space to grow. Two papaya saplings need minimum 5 to 6 feet space to grow fast. It takes only three months after plantation to blooms in a favourable weather condition.