Sapling production becomes a burgeoning business in Bogura

Sapling production has turned out to be a thriving business sector in the agricultural arena of Bogura district, engaging hundreds of small-scale nurseries and generating significant income for local farmers.

The local nurseries could recently make a name by producing high-quality chilli saplings, as Bogura's chilli variety is famous across the country.

Besides chilli, farmers cultivate hybrid winter vegetable saplings such as tomato, cauliflower, cabbage, and brinjal.

Currently, more than 1,300 nurseries are operating across 12 upazilas in Bogura district. Together, these nurseries are expected to generate around Tk1.15 billion by selling saplings this year.

The main markets for these saplings are in the adjoining districts of Naogaon, Joypurhat, Natore, Gaibandha, and others. This year alone, an estimated 900 million saplings are likely to be produced.

"There is a huge demand for the saplings produced in Bogura, and this is becoming a rapidly growing business in Bogura," said a local nursery owner.

At present, nurseries from Bogura supply saplings to more than 35 districts across Bangladesh. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), about 3000 hectares of land are currently under sapling production

in the 12 upazilas. DAE officials said the demand is rising because the saplings are of

high quality and largely free from diseases. Among the upazilas, Shajahanpur and Shibganj are particularly renowned for sapling production, together hosting more than 500 nurseries.

This booming sector has also created significant employment opportunities for local people.

Shahnagar in Shajahanpur is considered as the pioneer of sapling production in Bogura. Amzad Hossain, proprietor of Agro Seed and one of the pioneers in this business, told The Financial Express that the profit margin is high and the investment cycle is short.

"An investment of Tk 100,000 can double to Tk 200,000 in just two months," he said.

"For one bigha of land, the production cost is around Tk 200,000, and it can bring returns of up to Tk400,000."

Bhai-Boun Nurseery in Shibganj has cultivated chilli saplings on eight bighas of land. Niloy Pervez Milon, the proprietor, said they are currently selling 1000 saplings at Tk1,200.

One kilogramme of chilli seeds can produce approximately 150,000 saplings.

Abdul Gafur, a farmer from neighbouring Sirajganj, said he collects saplings from Bogura every year due to their superior quality.

"Last year, I invested Tk 30,000, and my chilli yield was worth more than Tk 250,000," he said.

The sapling business runs from June to November with nurseries preparing saplings two to three times during this period.

Faridur Rahman, a deputy assistant agriculture officer, told The Financial Express that this growing business is giving a new brand identity to the northern district.

"It's improving farmers' income and living standards," he said.

Agricultural economist Muhammd Tahazzat Ali, a native of Bogura, said the district's fertile land and long tradition of vegetable cultivation-particularly chilli-have made it a natural hub for sapling production.

"Bogura is already famous as an agro-economic zone," he added.

The success story of Bogura's sapling trade began at Shahnagar village. In the 1980s, a farmer known as Shamsu Pagla first started small-scale sapling production.

Later, Amjad Hossaib then a teenager, laid the commercial foundation of the business.

In 1985, he started cultivating chilli saplings on just half a decimal of land. Realising its profitability, he expanded cultivation to four bighas by 1992 and began full-scale commercial production.

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