Shameem Reza Dafrul, Gobindaganj (Gaibandha)

Mountain fruit oranges are now being cultivated in the plain lands of Lal Mati Barendra areas in Gobindganj. An unemployed young man named Halim Mandal (927) has succeeded in planting oranges on the pond bank land. In his garden, among the green leaves, there are clusters of eye-catching small yellow, sweet and juicy oranges. Every day people come from different areas to visit this orange orchard and buy oranges.

After being duped by brokers with money to go abroad, Halim Mandal has set a shining example of self-reliance through strong will and hard work to overcome the despair of unemployment.

He has profited by selling oranges by selling oranges on the fallow land of his own pond and earning more than Tk 2 to 3 lakhs every year. Every day people from different areas visit his orange grove and welcome and appreciate his initiative. Now he can't go abroad but he has changed his destiny by his own efforts and has become self-reliant. He, his family and the local people are also happy.

Halim Mondal (27), son of Abdus Samad Mondal, son of Balya village of Shakhahar Union, Lal Mati area of Barendra Bhamir, 20 km west of Gobindganj Sadar in Gaibandha, has planted an orange garden. On the surface, it can be seen in this garden - hundreds of trees in the garden are hanging in bunches of small yellow oranges in the gap between the green leaves. Every day people come from different areas to visit this orange orchard and buy oranges.

Masud Rana, field worker of Polli Unnon Bank who came to see the orange garden, said - I was amazed to see the orange garden of Balya village. Halim Bhai has set an example by planting oranges on the fallow land on the banks of the pond. The oranges in his garden are delicious and juicy. The red soil of plain Varendrabhumi can grow delicious oranges - Halim Bhai's orange garden is an example. I congratulate him.

Sanu Mia, who came from Kochashahar to see the garden, said - Halim bhai cultivated the foreign fruit oranges beautifully on the soil of our country. Orange is not tasty and good in the soil of our country. But the oranges of this garden are very sweet and juicy. The garden by the pond is also very beautiful. Halim Bhai, unable to go abroad, overcomes the frustration of unemployment and has benefited by owning a beautiful orange garden. I thank him. Also, I would request the concerned authorities to encourage the unemployed youth and farmers of the country to cultivate such fruits. So that they can be self-reliant.

Halim Mandal, an orange grower, said that after passing the SSC, I was cheated by a broker to go abroad and became unemployed. Then on the advice of a friend and watching YouTube we decided to build an orange orchard on 3 bigha of fallow land beside our own pond. The land on this side of the pond is raised in the middle and sloped on both sides to make the land like a hill - so that the water does not get stuck in the land and every plant gets enough sunlight and air.

In 2019, I bought 200 orange seedlings from Chuadanga and planted them on 3 bigha land. In 2021, oranges were caught on few trees but not sold. In 2022, all the trees were full of oranges and during the November-December season, I made a profit of about 2 lakh rupees by selling oranges. This year I started selling oranges from the middle of November. Selling wholesale and retail daily. We are selling oranges at the rate of 100 taka 110 taka per kg. So far I have sold about 1 lakh rupees worth of oranges. Oranges can be sold for around 2 lakh to 2.5 lakh rupees. The orchard has China-3, Bari-1, Darjeeling varieties of oranges. But Chinese oranges are more. The cost of fertilizers, pesticides and labor is not more than Rs 50,000 per year. The profit from selling oranges is 2.5 to 3 lakh rupees per season. Even if I can't go abroad, now I am self-sufficient by growing an orange garden. Gobindaganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Syed Reza E Mahmud said Different kinds of fruits are being cultivated in the red soil of Barendra area of Gobindganj.

The success that Halim Mandal has shown by growing oranges is an example and success of the Agriculture Department. In the future, the agriculture department will provide technical support to him along with various other suggestions.