Organic lychee farming yields success for young Jamalpur farmer

Instead of chasing lucrative jobs upon completing his higher studies, Abdus Selim of Jamalpur decided to go for a career in agriculture through the organic cultivation of lychees on his family land.

Subsequently, after putting a lychee orchard in place, strictly by following organic farming methods, Selim not only achieved self-reliance but also created employment opportunities for other young men in the village. 

Every year, organic lychees from his orchard, bringing him Tk3.5-4 lakh, make their way to markets all over the country.

Selim’s swift success is now inspiring others like him in the area to take up organic lychee cultivation for guaranteed handsome profits.

According to locals, Abdus Selim is the only son of Abdul Quader, a farmer from Kanil village in Ranagachha union of Jamalpur Sadar upazila. He did his master's degree in political science back in 2013.

Just a few years ago, he had the lychee orchard set up on his father's one-acre land. He is now building a two-storey house on the same land next to the orchard with the money he has been earning from the trade. 

Not only that, he has also set up a state-of-the-art diagnostic centre and a homoeopathic drug store at the local market. Besides, he employs 10 young men at his orchard as caretakers.

Abdus Selim said he was able to achieve his goals only because he was earning a good profit from his lychee orchard. 

He added that he had never used any chemicals or pesticides in his orchard that were harmful to the human body. “By cultivating the improved Bari 4 lychee variant, using only organic fertilizer, I have received a good response from customers and wholesalers in the district. Although many people use various chemicals so that lychees ripen ahead of time and appear more attractive, I’m completely against it. 

“However, at the beginning of the harvest season, I did apply a small amount of pesticides to protect my plants from pest attacks.”

Earlier, Selim had received training on lychee farming under various programs, including one under the Department of Youth Development. Last year, he also underwent a month-long training programme as part of the Entrepreneurship & Skill Development Project under the Prime Minister's Office. 

From an early age, Selim spent a lot of time planting and tending to various plants on his father's land.

Selim’s orchard currently has 120 lychee trees and the yield from each has been quite good this year. Lychees from his garden are sold in different parts of the country, including Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Sylhet. 

He has been selling lychees since May 20 this year. Selim says if the weather permits he will be able to earn Tk4 lakh by selling lychees from his orchard this season.

Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Centre (Jamalpur) Scientific Officer Monjurul Qadir said: “The Bari 4 variety of lychees is being cultivated here since 2006. Farmers have achieved a good yield in the past from this juicy and delicious lychee variety. Each mature tree can bear up to 5,000 lychees. Anyone can become self-sufficient by cultivating this particular variety of lychees.”