BRAHMANBARIA: Green malta growers in the district are happy with good yield and fair price of the delicious juicy fruit this year.

The district sees gradual rise in green malta cultivation as the fruit grown there is very tasty and usually of large size.

However, imported malta varieties are being sold at Taka 120 to 150 per kilogram, while the local variety at Taka 100 to 120 at present.

As a result, many of the consumers are seen going for the option to purchase the local variety as its price is significantly low compared to the imported one.

Each fruit weighs around 150 grams and one kg of it is now selling for Tk 85 to Tk 95 in local markets. A local nursery owner named as Sohagh Bhuiyan was struggling to make money out of his nursery, but he has changed his life by green malta farming on last few years. Now he is a successful green malta grower in the district.

Green malta grower Sohagh, Bijoynagar upazila in the district said, “I decided to green malta farming, after attending a workshop. Accordingly, I purchase 160 green malta saplings from Cumilla district in 2018 and planting it in my 2.5 Bighas of land. This year,

Another green malta growers – Abdul Alim, Jahir Miah and Hafizur Rahman made many malta orchards at his home yard in Bijoynagar upazila.

“We sold the fruits at higher rate on last October to November. I benefited financially from selling the green malta. Some of customers from different districts are started giving orders over online for green malta saplings,” they added.

“We tasted the green malta and found it better than the imported others malta available in the market,” said many green malta buyer of the village. While contacted, Ruhul Amin Khan, Deputy Assistant Agricultural Officer of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Brahmanbaria told the correspondent, “The district has bright prospect for green malta production and accordingly, we are taken up programme to create at least a Malta orchard in each union of Bijoynagar, Kasba and Akhaura upazilas”.

“Green malta grower Sohagh Bhuiyan was received proper advice of green malta cultivation from the DAE office. Following him, many other growers in the area adopted same marketing policy as Sohagh earned good profit from selling the fruit”, he added.

However, Sohagh wants to extend his Malta plantation, if the government and private entrepreneurs get on board, then Malta cultivation can be a highly profitable segment for agricultural future.

Tree branches were seen bowing down with the weight of hanging ripe green malta. Seeing their success, several others have become interested in cultivating green malta at different villages.

“Our customers show great interest for seasonal fruits from the area as we always try to sell pure organic fruits,” he added.