Hafizur Sheikh, Jashore

Yellow ‘Ramrangan’ hanging in bunches between green leaves. Its garden is in Panburi area of ​​Ulashi Union in Sharsha Upazila, Jashore.

Five kilometers from Navaran intersection in Sharsha Upazila along Navaran-Satkhira highway is Ahiduzzaman’s garden.

Garden owner Ahiduzzaman said that Ramrangan is a variety of orange.

The advantage of cultivating this variety of orange is that it is tolerant to adverse environments. This fruit does not fall in extreme heat. Even after maturity, the fruit does not fall from the tree. Even after ripening, the fruit can be kept on the tree for a month. The advantage of cultivating this variety of orange is that it is good for adverse environments.

Ahiduzzaman mainly produces seedlings for nursery trees. He has a nursery on 12 bighas of land. Along with the nursery, he cultivates different varieties of mango, guava, kuala and malta.

He cultivated Ramrangan orange for the first time. He first came to know about it after watching a report on television. He had a kuala garden on his 10-year lease of 18 kathas of land.

In February 2019, he bought 196 Ramrangan seedlings for 100 taka each from a nursery in Jashore. He planted these seedlings in the gaps between the kuala trees in the garden. When the seedlings grew, he tied the grafts to them. Later, he cut the kuala trees. He sold each graft for 100 to 200 taka. He earned 25 to 30 thousand taka every year from selling grafts. It is possible to get one and a half to two maunds of Ramrangan in a season from a mature tree. A tree bears fruit for 15 to 20 years.
Ahiduzzaman, the owner of the garden, said, “The Ramrangan variety of orange trees flowers in February. The flowers bear fruit within 15 to 20 days. The fruit ripens in December. The tree bore fruit for the first time in 2023. The fruit is sold for 165,000 taka. This year, the tree has produced a lot of fruit. Most of the fruit is ripe. The fruit is sold for 140 to 150 taka per kg. Sometimes it is sold for 200 taka per kg. Some fruit is being sold locally. Most of the fruit is bought by traders in Dhaka. He hopes that this time he will be able to sell fruit worth 8 to 10 lakh taka. It is possible to get one and a half to two maunds of Ramrangan in a season from a mature tree. A tree bears fruit for 15 to 20 years. Four workers work in Ahiduzzaman’s garden. Their daily wage is 300 taka. If they work in the afternoon, they have to pay another 150 taka.
Ahiduzzaman’s family consists of his wife Tanjila Khatun (30), two sons Nissan Mahmud (12) and Tanjim Moon (4). He believes that unemployed youth can become self-sufficient by starting this fruit garden. Ahiduzzaman hopes that this time he will be able to sell fruits worth 8 to 10 lakh taka.

Sharsha Upazila Agriculture Officer Deepak Kumar Saha said that Ramrangan orange cultivation is profitable. There is suitable soil here for cultivating China, Darjeeling and Ramrangan varieties of oranges. Ahiduzzaman’s garden has yielded good yields of Ramrangan oranges. If cultivated in a planned manner, better yields will be obtained.