Mahidul Islam Ripon, Dinajpur

A foreign fruit, yet it grows in the soil of Dinajpur. From a distance, it looks like a litchi garden, but when you get closer, you will find a surprise. Small brown longans are hanging in bunches. The fruit that Maulana Moniruzzaman Rifat once fell in love with while working in the United Arab Emirates, is the same fruit that has now made its way commercially in Dinajpur. By establishing the first commercial longan garden in the district, he has not only written his own success story, but has also added a chapter of new possibilities to agriculture in the northern region.

The nearly two-acre garden of Maulana Moniruzzaman Rifat, an entrepreneur from Jotkristai village in Bhiayil union of Chirirbandar upazila of Dinajpur, is now a sight to behold. Rows of longan trees surround it. Each tree bears clusters of fruit. Although it looks a lot like a litchi from a distance, the transparent white shell and honeyed taste inside the peel distinguish this fruit.

A tour of the garden shows that more than 50 trees have borne abundant fruit this year. Two popular varieties of Vietnam, Pincon and Pingpong, are cultivated here. The demand for longan as a new and high-value fruit in the country is gradually increasing.

According to the Department of Agriculture, longan cultivation can be a profitable option for farmers in the northern regions, including Dinajpur, if proper care and marketing are ensured.

Entrepreneur Moniruzzaman Rifat worked in the administrative department of an organization in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for a long time. It was there that he first encountered longan fruit.

In order to realize his dream, he returned home in 2022 and collected 50 seedlings from a nursery in Chuadanga for about 3,500 taka. Later, he bought 75 more seedlings and planted them on two acres of land around his poultry farm. After four to five years of care, almost every tree has now yielded the desired yield.

Moniruzzaman Rifat said, "I often saw longans in fruit baskets in Abu Dhabi. The locals ate this fruit with great interest. I also ate it. From then on, I thought that if I got the chance to return to my country, I would cultivate this fruit."

Chirirbandar Upazila Agriculture Officer, Agronomist Zohra Sultana, said, "This is the first commercial longan orchard in Chirirbandar. Although there are a few trees isolated in different parts of the country, this is the first time they have seen such a large-scale production."

Longan, once known as a foreign fruit, has now sown new seeds of potential in the soil of Dinajpur. This initiative by Maulana Moniruzzaman Rifat has proven that with willpower, planning and care, even unconventional fruit cultivation can be profitable. His success is no longer just a garden story; it is an inspiration to diversify agriculture in the northern region. If the cooperation of the Agriculture Department, quality seedlings and a fair market system are ensured, longan can be another potential cash crop of Dinajpur in the future.

Dinajpur Horticulture Department Deputy Director Md. Ejamul Haque said that if proper care and market management are ensured, commercial cultivation of this fruit in the northern region including Dinajpur can pave the way for profitable conditions for farmers.