Khulna: Educated youths in Khulna have become self-reliant through cultivating dragon fruit as this tropical fruit gained immense popularity among the people due to its high nutritional value. Atiar Rahman, a 40-year-old postgraduate from Bangladesh Agricultural University, has successfully established himself through dragon fruit farming in Dumuria upazila of Khulna.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Atiar completed his studies in 2010 and chose not to pursue a traditional career path. Instead, he aimed to become self-reliant by utilizing his skills and talents. A resident of Mechoghona village in Dumuria, Atiar initially planned to cultivate tiger shrimp on his father's three acres of fallow land. However, he switched to dragon fruit farming a decade ago due to the environmental damage caused by shrimp farming, such as soil degradation and pollution.
Atiar shared with BSS that he invested around Taka 12 lakh per acre to establish his dragon fruit farm. "It takes around 16 to 17 months from planting to harvest," he said. He now earns over Taka 50 lakh annually and provides employment for 30 to 35 educated youths. "We sell dragon fruit to wholesalers at Taka 400 to 500 per kg, while the retail price in local markets ranges from Taka 500 to 600. In Dhaka, it often sells for Taka 700 to 800 per kg," he added.
Inspired by Atiar's success, many educated youths in Dumuria and other parts of the district have also started cultivating the fruit. Abdul Hamid, another farmer from Baratiah village in Atlia Union under the same upazila, has ventured into dragon fruit cultivation on two acres of land. With support from the development organization Nobolok Parishad, he adopted the drip irrigation method, showcasing an effective model of modern agriculture, and achieved notable success in a short time.
"Selecting well-drained, fertile land is key to cultivating dragon fruit. The soil must be ploughed two to three times and levelled properly," Hamid explained. Md Insad Ibne Amin, Agriculture Officer of Dumuria Upazila, emphasized that drip irrigation offers sustainable benefits amid climate change. "Irrigation has become more challenging in the Khulna region due to erratic rainfall. Drip irrigation is a smart solution and is especially suitable for high-value crops like dragon fruit," he added.
Md Rafiqul Islam, Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension of Khulna Region, highlighted the advantages of drip irrigation. He stated that this method can save up to 70 percent of water and 50 percent of electricity, along with reducing labour costs. It ensures better plant growth and increased yield. Rafiqul Islam further noted that the fruit, high in fibre, aids digestion, helps reduce body fat, and requires minimal maintenance, which is attracting more farmers to dragon fruit cultivation.