Sreepur Correspondent

Heavy with golden Darjeeling and green China Mandarin varieties, the trees in this orange orchard in Sreepur sway gently in the breeze. The orchard isn’t just a place for cultivation, it has become a meeting point for people. Buyers and visitors arrive in droves, lured by the allure of plucking fresh fruit.

Four entrepreneurs in Satkhamair Paschim Para of Sreepur upazila, Gazipur, have transformed the plains into a vibrant orchard by growing Darjeeling and China Mandarin oranges on eight bighas of land.

Waliullah Bayezid, Faruk Ahmed, Abdul Matin, and Ainul Haque began their journey in 2021 with seedlings and advice from agronomist Golam Mawla.

Waliullah explained, “Darjeeling and China Mandarin oranges are usually grown on red soil in India and Sylhet. Inspired by orange cultivation in Jhenaidah, I took up this challenge. This year marks our third harvest.”

On a recent afternoon, the orchard bustled with visitors who paid Tk 30 for entry tickets to pluck their own fruit.

“Picking oranges here feels surreal,” said Sadia Sultana, a visitor. Children played under the trees while others climbed ladders to reach ripe fruits hanging in bunches.

The Darjeeling oranges, large and bright yellow, are nearing the season’s end, while the green and yellow China Mandarin variety continues to flourish.

“It’s amazing to see oranges being cultivated here in Gazipur, thanks to the efforts of agricultural scientists,” Sadia added.

Currently, 70 Darjeeling trees have produced fruits, with each yielding at least 20 kg.

“We sell Darjeeling oranges at Tk 300 per kg,” Waliullah said. The orchard operates from 10:00am to 5:00pm daily, drawing the highest number of visitors on Thursdays and Fridays.

The team spends Tk 7 lakh annually and leases the land for Tk 1 lakh per year. Trees produce fruit for up to four years, allowing nearly year-round sales.

Nur Habiba, a resident of Madhukhula village, says she came here because she saw a video about the orchard on social media.

“The garden went viral on Facebook. That’s how I found out about it,” she said.

Despite the success, the farmers have faced challenges due to limited government support. “Officials from the agriculture office visited only once,” said co-owner Sabuj Mia. Promises of vermicompost (a type of compost made by using worms to decompose foodwasate) materials remain unfulfilled.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Sumaiya Sultana acknowledged the potential of orange cultivation in the area.

“We encourage farmers to grow oranges to reduce dependency on imports. Sreepur has immense prospects for this,” she said.

Deputy Director of Agriculture Extension Md Rafiqul Islam, however, admitted to being unaware of the orchard’s existence until recently.

“I will visit soon and ensure necessary assistance,” he told this correspondent.