Pabna Correspondent:

With the cultivation of the high-quality Golden 8 variety guava, Monirul Islam of Pabna has been earning about Tk 1.2 million per year by investing only Tk 100,000 each year.

The young entrepreneur grower from Bishrampur of Atgharia Upazila said guava can be obtained from the advanced variety fruit tree at a low cost for 12 months. Each guava weighs half a kilogram to about one kilogramme.

The Golden 8 variety guava tree bears fruit for seven to eight years and the fruit can be sold for Tk 40 to 60 per kg.

Monirul, who planted 1,100 Golden 8 variety guava trees on about three bighas of land, inspired and supported many farmers and unemployed youth in various ways. The growers he inspired are now starting to cultivate improved varieties of guava.

Along with cultivating chilli and turmeric as companion crops, Monirul is also producing Golden 8 guava seedlings through grafting and selling them commercially.

Monirul Islam said, “Guava cultivation is three times more profitable than ordinary crops. Guava seedlings are collected at the end of Baishakh and then planted. Trees start bearing fruit three to four months after planting. Although guava is harvested year-round, it is more expensive in the winter. Four Hundred guava trees can be planted in one bigha of land.”

In the first year of planting, a guava tree produces up to 15 kg of guava in a year, which increases to 20 to 25 kg in the second year and 30 to 40 kg in the third and fourth years. One maund of guava is being wholesaled in the markets for Tk 1,400 to 2,400. During monsoon, polythene has to be wrapped around the guava while the application of balanced fertiliser to prevent guava pests and rotting is also an important requirement.

Shah Alam, fruit expert at the Department of Agriculture, told journalist “Guava cultivation is thriving in Bangladesh’s agricultural sector. The country boasts a significant number of guava orchards and the fruit’s popularity is increasing due to its delicious taste, reasonable price, and year-round availability. Farmers are adopting high-yielding varieties like the Thai guava, which are commercially cultivated for better yields and market prices.”

Jahangir Alam Pramanik, deputy director of the Pabna Department of Agricultural Extension, told the FE that guava is being cultivated in all nine upazilas of Pabna as it is a profitable fruit.Guava, a fruit rich in vitamin C, fiver, and antioxidants, increases immunity, controls blood sugar levels, reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer, keeps the skin healthy, and improves digestion, experts said.