Jumbangla Desk: 'I dreamed of becoming a successful entrepreneur since childhood. But I could not think what to do. One day I was inspired to see Malta growing on the roof of a teacher's house. Cultivation started by planting 960 malta trees in Corona. Even if we don't see success in the first year of yield, we expect to sell malta worth ten lakh taka this season.'
RU-Student
This is how the second year student of Rajshahi University (Rabi) Department of Public Administration was telling the story of becoming an entrepreneur. Faraduzzaman Fahim.
He is Mozammel Haque and Mosha of Mirzaganj village of Domar upazila of Nilphamari district. Farida Begum is the third of the couple's five children. After completing SSC from Mirzaganj Bahumukhi High School and HSC from Rangpur Cantonment Public School and College, he was admitted to the Public Administration Department of Rajshahi University.
Talking to this young entrepreneur, it is known that in July 2021, he planted 920 Malta and 40 orange seedlings on 3.15 acres of land. The second year of planting did not yield as expected but he was not disappointed. Malta sold only 2 lakh 20 thousand rupees in the first year of yield. However, due to favorable weather this year, there has been a good yield. He expects to sell Malta at least 10 lakh rupees.
Besides being self-reliant, Faraduzjan Fahim has also created employment for rural people. Four workers are constantly looking after and tending to his malta garden. Also created employment opportunities for more than 10 workers in different projects of fish farms and field crops. However, this young entrepreneur expressed the hope of setting a bright example in agriculture if he gets various incentives and facilities from the government.
Fahim said, 'While studying at Cantonment School and Public College in 2021, I was inspired by seeing malta cultivation in a teacher's roof garden. Later I personally visited various gardens and contacted the local Domar Upazila Agriculture Department. The then Upazila Agriculture Officer. Anisuzzaman sir advised me to set up a garden.
He said, in the second year of planting, the garden did not bear fruit like that, but he was not disappointed. This year, I have already sold malta worth about 3 lakh taka and I think we can sell another 6-7 lakh taka malta. Being readily available, it is playing a role in meeting the nutritional needs of people in remote areas. Besides, it is making an important contribution to the rural economy. We can create milestones if we get various incentives and facilities from the government in this project.'
Fahim's school teacher was overwhelmed when he came to visit the garden. Dulal Uddin Appreciating such an initiative, he said, 'I was really impressed when I went to Fahim's Malta garden. Fahim has built an amazing malta garden on nine bigha land. The malta trees looked beautiful too. Fahim is a hardworking boy. Along with family and university studies during his student life, he is trying to become self-sufficient by gardening, which will boost the country's economy as well as create employment for rural people. If everyone becomes interested like Fahim, then the unemployment rate in the country will come down a lot.'
If you want to know about this, Domar Upazila Agriculture Officer. Rafiqul Islam said, 'Fahim is a successful agricultural entrepreneur of Domar Upazila. He cultivated Malta on three acres of land with the help of the Upazila Agriculture Department. His garden has about 1,000 Bari Malta-1 trees and about 150 orange trees. This year, Malta sold about 5 lakh rupees.
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He said, 'Assistant Agriculture Officers provide regular advice to him. Also upazila agriculture officers often visit his garden. The agricultural activities of Bangladesh will change in the hands of young entrepreneurs like Fahim.
