Growing citrus fruits

Govt takes Tk 126cr project for 30 dists

The government has taken up a project to cultivate citrus fruits, such as orange, blood orange (known as malta), local lemon, jara and Colombo lemon, to meet the Vitamin C demand among the population as well as to export them abroad. The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has adopted a Tk. 126.43 project—‘Extend cultivation and management the citrus fruits’—to grow the fruits in 123 upazilas under 30 of the country’s 64 districts, agriculture ministry sources said.

The agriculture ministry has placed the project proposal at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) and the committee approved it yesterday. According to the five-year project proposal, the DAE has selected the 123 upazilas of 30 districts to cultivate the citrus fruits on the basis of a feasibility survey done to extend the cultivation of local fruits.

The citrus fruits would be cultivated in the 30 districts—Gazipur, Tangail, Narshingdi, Mymensing,  Sherpur, Netrokona, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Brahmanbaria, Cumilla, Feni, Khagrachari, Rangamati, Bandarbans, Panchagarh, Thankotgaon, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Kurigram, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Rajshahi, Natore, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Bogura, Jaipurhat, Barishal, Pirojpur and Jhalokati.

In the proposal, the DAE says that some hilly districts like Sylhet, Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarbans are cultivating citrus fruits as their soil is suitable for such fruits.

“Besides these areas, some plains areas like Panchagarh and Thankoregaon are cultivating orange and lemon for the last few years. The farmers are happy as they yield bumper crops. There are huge tracts of khas and abandoned lands lying in Tangail, Narshingdi, Mymensing,  Sherpur, Netrokona, Chottagram, Cox’s Bazar, Brahmanbaria, Cumilla, Feni, Rajshahi, Natore, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Bogura, Jaipurhat, Barishal, Pirojopur and Jhalokati, which are suitable for the cultivation of citrus fruits,” according to the proposal.

If it is possible to cultivate orange, malta and lemon commercially in these areas, it will be possible to fulfil the national demand and save foreign exchange, the proposal states.

It says the demand for citrus fruits like orange and malta is on the rise and a huge amount of foreign exchange is being spent to import the fruits.

According to the DAE, over 1,00,000 metric tonnes of orange and malta are being imported annually to meet the domestic demand.

 

Growing citrus fruits

Govt takes Tk 126cr project for 30 dists

The government has taken up a project to cultivate citrus fruits, such as orange, blood orange (known as malta), local lemon, jara and Colombo lemon, to meet the Vitamin C demand among the population as well as to export them abroad. The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has adopted a Tk. 126.43 projectExtend cultivation and management the citrus fruitsto grow the fruits in 123 upazilas under 30 of the countrys 64 districts, agriculture ministry sources said. The agriculture ministry has placed the project proposal at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) and the committee approved it yesterday. According to the five-year project proposal, the DAE has selected the 123 upazilas of 30 districts to cultivate the citrus fruits on the basis of a feasibility survey done to extend the cultivation of local fruits. The citrus fruits would be cultivated in the 30 districtsGazipur, Tangail, Narshingdi, Mymensing, Sherpur, Netrokona, Chattogram, Coxs Bazar, Brahmanbaria, Cumilla, Feni, Khagrachari, Rangamati, Bandarbans, Panchagarh, Thankotgaon, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Kurigram, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Rajshahi, Natore, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Bogura, Jaipurhat, Barishal, Pirojpur and Jhalokati. In the proposal, the DAE says that some hilly districts like Sylhet, Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarbans are cultivating citrus fruits as their soil is suitable for such fruits. Besides these areas, some plains areas like Panchagarh and Thankoregaon are cultivating orange and lemon for the last few years. The farmers are happy as they yield bumper crops. There are huge tracts of khas and abandoned lands lying in Tangail, Narshingdi, Mymensing, Sherpur, Netrokona, Chottagram, Coxs Bazar, Brahmanbaria, Cumilla, Feni, Rajshahi, Natore, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Bogura, Jaipurhat, Barishal, Pirojopur and Jhalokati, which are suitable for the cultivation of citrus fruits, according to the proposal. If it is possible to cultivate orange, malta and lemon commercially in these areas, it will be possible to fulfil the national demand and save foreign exchange, the proposal states. It says the demand for citrus fruits like orange and malta is on the rise and a huge amount of foreign exchange is being spent to import the fruits. According to the DAE, over 1,00,000 metric tonnes of orange and malta are being imported annually to meet the domestic demand.