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TANGAIL, Jan 01: Papaya cultivation has brought smile on the faces of many grassroots growers in the district.
Sources said many growers have been earning handsome profit from commercial cultivation of papaya in recent times.
A good number of farmers said papaya farming process is easy. It can be grown at homesteads and main cropland.
High market demand, low production cost and good output encourage the cultivators to grow the item on vast tract of land.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Tangail, sources said a total of 1,512 hectares of land in all the 12 upazila of the district have been brought under the cultivation of papaya with the production target of 32,755 tonnes.
Sub-assistant agriculture officer of DAE Shariful Islam said papaya farming is expanding in the area as soil and weather are suitable for the production of the vegetable.
The item grows well in high land. It requires low fertiliser, irrigation and nursing, sources added.
A good number of growers said other crops, like mustard, can also be grown in the papaya field.
Sadar, Mirzapur and Modhupur upazilas of the district are well-known for quality papaya.
Hasan Ali of Modhupur upazila said he cultivated papaya on 30 decimals of land this season.
The farmer said he has already earned over Tk 10,000 from the sale of the produce and expecting to earn more from remain crops.
One kg of papaya is being sold at Tk 15 to Tk 20 in the local market.
Ripe papaya is selling at a high rate than the green one.
One piece of ripe papaya is being sold at Tk 30 to Tk 100.
Abdur Razzaque, deputy director of Tangail DAE, said the department provides all necessary support in farming papaya.
"It is a profitable venture and cultivators should expand the farming area", the official added.