Published: 12:00 AM, 08 March 2016
Kalambo Lemon cultivation in Narsingdi
Cultivation of Kalambo lemon in six upazilas of the district has been increasing gradually as the farmers are showing interest towards the farming due to economic prospect of the crop.
A number of farmers had started a small-scale cultivation of Kalambo lemon few years back on experimental basis in six upazilas of the district and achieved a remarkable success.
Their success encouraged many other farmers in the district to raise orchards of the juicy and extraordinary flavor-fruits.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) officials after examining the soil in six upazilas -- Narsingdi Sadhar, Polash, Shibpur, Belabo, Monohardi and Raipura found that the climate and soil of the district are suitable for Kalambo lemon cultivation and seeing the interest of the farmers the Department has taken up an extensive program to cultivate export quality lemon here in six upazilas of the district.
Under the program 70 orchards of Kalambo lemon (each orchard spreads over one bigha) was set up in six upazilas last year and this year a total of 430 new orchards are being set up in the same six upazilas of the district . DAE supplying 160 saplings to each grower for one orchard and also imparted training to all growers. Besides some farmers in different areas of the district raised a number of orchards in their own initiative and they are at present harvesting good quality lemon from their orchards.
Deputy Director, DAE, Narsingdi Latafut Hossain told The Asian Age that farmers of the district this year are harvesting huge good quality lemon from their old orchards. He said Kalambo lemon has great demand in the local and other distant markets. Now this variety of lemon is exporting abroad specially in London. Kalambo lemon are being sold at Tk 50 to 60 per kg in the local markets which contain only 4-5 in number. He said people of Narsingdi district exported about 50 metric tons of Kalambo lemon to foreign countries last year. He expects this year Narsingdi district will export over 60 metric tons of Kalambo Lemon to foreign countries.
The Deputy Director said Kalambo lemon tree generally grows on high fallow land where scope of other crop cultivation is limited. Some 200 sapling can be planted on a bigha of land which produce on average 60 to 70 mounds. Each tree bears 80 to 100 lemons in a year. He opined that the country could earn a huge foreign exchange every year by exporting Kalambo lemon.
Recently, The Asian Age Correspondent visiting a number of Kalambo lemon orchards in Shibpur and Raipura upazilas found that the farmers were harvesting lemon from their orchards with enthusiasm. While talking to Julhas Miah, a farmer of village Dattargoan under Shibpur upazila said last year he achieved good production of lemon from his 60 decimals of land and earned Tk 2, 00,000 selling the lemons. This year he gets an excellent production from his orchard and expects to earn over Tk 3,00,000 by selling the lemon from his orchard.
Farmer Babul Chowdhury of Adiabad union under Raipura upazila also narrated his success story in cultivating the Kalambo lemon in his 16 bighas of land. He said this year he is would get an excellent production from his orchard.
- AA Correspondent, Narsingdi
A number of farmers had started a small-scale cultivation of Kalambo lemon few years back on experimental basis in six upazilas of the district and achieved a remarkable success.
Their success encouraged many other farmers in the district to raise orchards of the juicy and extraordinary flavor-fruits.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) officials after examining the soil in six upazilas -- Narsingdi Sadhar, Polash, Shibpur, Belabo, Monohardi and Raipura found that the climate and soil of the district are suitable for Kalambo lemon cultivation and seeing the interest of the farmers the Department has taken up an extensive program to cultivate export quality lemon here in six upazilas of the district.
Under the program 70 orchards of Kalambo lemon (each orchard spreads over one bigha) was set up in six upazilas last year and this year a total of 430 new orchards are being set up in the same six upazilas of the district . DAE supplying 160 saplings to each grower for one orchard and also imparted training to all growers. Besides some farmers in different areas of the district raised a number of orchards in their own initiative and they are at present harvesting good quality lemon from their orchards.
Deputy Director, DAE, Narsingdi Latafut Hossain told The Asian Age that farmers of the district this year are harvesting huge good quality lemon from their old orchards. He said Kalambo lemon has great demand in the local and other distant markets. Now this variety of lemon is exporting abroad specially in London. Kalambo lemon are being sold at Tk 50 to 60 per kg in the local markets which contain only 4-5 in number. He said people of Narsingdi district exported about 50 metric tons of Kalambo lemon to foreign countries last year. He expects this year Narsingdi district will export over 60 metric tons of Kalambo Lemon to foreign countries.
The Deputy Director said Kalambo lemon tree generally grows on high fallow land where scope of other crop cultivation is limited. Some 200 sapling can be planted on a bigha of land which produce on average 60 to 70 mounds. Each tree bears 80 to 100 lemons in a year. He opined that the country could earn a huge foreign exchange every year by exporting Kalambo lemon.
Recently, The Asian Age Correspondent visiting a number of Kalambo lemon orchards in Shibpur and Raipura upazilas found that the farmers were harvesting lemon from their orchards with enthusiasm. While talking to Julhas Miah, a farmer of village Dattargoan under Shibpur upazila said last year he achieved good production of lemon from his 60 decimals of land and earned Tk 2, 00,000 selling the lemons. This year he gets an excellent production from his orchard and expects to earn over Tk 3,00,000 by selling the lemon from his orchard.
Farmer Babul Chowdhury of Adiabad union under Raipura upazila also narrated his success story in cultivating the Kalambo lemon in his 16 bighas of land. He said this year he is would get an excellent production from his orchard.
- AA Correspondent, Narsingdi
