Apel Mahmud, Ruhia (Thakurgaon)

Coffee is now widely regarded as an advanced beverage. At one time coffee was not very popular in our country. Gradually, many people have taken a place in the list of preferences to drink coffee instead of tea.

All the necessary demand for coffee in the country depends on imports. Although the price is a little higher than tea, the demand for coffee in Bangladesh is not less. As a result, many people have benefited from coffee cultivation in different districts of the country. In Thakurgaon, too, there is a possibility that commercial cultivation of coffee, like tea leaves, may be possible.

Engineer and teacher by profession. The two friends have been cultivating coffee experimentally in their spare time as well as fulfilling their professional responsibilities.

Two friends named Siddiqur Rahman Shanu and engineer HM Asif Rabbani are the initiators of coffee cultivation in the Ruhia area of ​​the upazila. They have set up a coffee garden in Dholahat Union. Many people are flocking to see the coffee garden. They are also interested in cultivating coffee. Besides tea, litchi and betel nuts, they have developed a coffee garden as a hobby.

The agriculture department also says that good yields can be obtained by cultivating coffee in Thakurgaon.

It can be seen on the ground that Siddiqur Rahman and Asif Rabbani have cultivated coffee trees in five percent of the land. Every branch from the base of each tree is full of fruit. Some fruits have also started ripening. Besides coffee, different types of fruits have been cultivated. In the garden

Visitors say Siddiqur Rahman and Asif Rabbani are ideal for the people of the area to produce safe fruits. Many people come every day to see the coffee garden. They were overwhelmed to see the first coffee trees and gardens in their lives. Many are taking their advice for coffee gardening.

The workers of the coffee garden say that the garden is full of small round green coffee. The green coffees are ripe red. Then it will be black.

Coffee grower Siddiqur Rahman Shanu said, this coffee cultivation is a joint venture of two friends. Every tree has a good yield of coffee. These coffees will mature in November. If farmers can be encouraged to cultivate coffee with government assistance, the dependence on coffee imports will be reduced. This will save foreign currency.

Another coffee farmer engineer HM Asif Rabbani said that coffee cultivation costs less than tea. Harvested once a year. Pruning like a tea tree, does not require irrigation. The disease is less. He added, “I think this will make proper use of the tea-garden land.” Coffee can also be a supplementary crop for tea gardens. He also thinks that since coffee is a lucrative crop, it will be possible to cultivate it and bring economic development and reduce unemployment in the north.

Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Krishna Roy said the agriculture department is going as far as possible with various technical advice on coffee cultivation. Agricultural entrepreneurs have to come forward in coffee cultivation. Only then can foreign exchange earnings be increased by meeting the local demand for coffee and exporting it.