Many people are benefiting from Malta cultivation in Rajshahi. Photo : BSS

By Md Aynal Haque

RAJSHAHI, March 22, 2025 (BSS)- Many people, particularly entrepreneurs are getting benefits from malta farming in the region including its vast Barind tract as the locally produced fruit is profitable.

Growers are seen expanding acreage of the citrus fruit in many of the dried lands consisting of Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts gradually after the best uses of modern technologies and other existing natural resources. 
 
Obaidullah Shah, a farmer of Tentulia village in Porsha Upazila of Naogaon, established a Malta orchard by transplanting 1,560 saplings on seven bighas of land around seven years back. He harvested fruit valued at around Taka 3.5 lakh the following year and attained around Taka six lakh last year.
 
He's expecting one and a half mounds of fruit from each of the trees in the current year.
"I have established one more orchard on six bighas of land this year," said Obaidullah. He gets suggestions from the local agriculture extension and research offices regularly.
 
Shah said commercial cultivation of the citrus fruits has begun in many areas making the farmers happy and enthusiastic side by side with vibrating the local economic activities. 

Three youths- Mukta Ali, Tofazzal Hossain and Sultan Ahmed- have jointly developed a malta orchard by planting 300 saplings on three bigha of land at Arani Khorda Baosha area under Bagha upazila in Rajshahi around eight years back. 

After nursing the field for around two years they sold fruit worth around Taka 75,000 in 2019. They are very much hopeful about selling malta of Taka five lakh this year. They are now successful in their venture. 
 
Aminul Islam along with four of his co-villagers has established an orchard on 45 bigha of land commercially on partnership approach at Bottoly area under Godagari Upazila in Rajshahi. 
 
Currently, they are doing their business successfully, said Islam, adding malta is being sold at Taka 80 to 100 per kilogram in local markets.
 
He said the consumers get fresh Malta as these are sold directly from the orchard to the market. Local Malta is delicious and tastes better than the imported varieties. 
 
Islam said imported malta varieties are being sold at Taka 220 to 240 per kilogram, while the local variety at Taka 80 to 100 at present.

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.
 
Godagari Upazila Agriculture Officer Mariam Ahmed said there is a water crisis in the area as it is in the Barind region. So, the farmers in this region are interested in farming Malta as it takes less water to get good yield with a little care.
 
Malta is being cultivated on around 110 bighas of land in this upazila, said the agricultural officer.
 
Malta farming has gained popularity in the region because many of the grassroots growers have become delighted with cash crop farming commercially.
 
The farmers who cultivate malta are now more interested in cultivating the fruit instead of many other fruits and vegetables. This year, this fruit is expected to be produced well. 
 
Cultivation of the fruit will bring a revolution in the local economy as hundreds of people from ultra-poor families have attained self-reliance by cultivating malta.
 
Dr Shafiqul Islam, Principal Scientific Officer of Fruit Research Station, said Barimalta1 is more drought tolerant and tasty than any other exotic variety. 
 
Cultivation of malta, a high-valued citrus fruit, has been gaining popularity as the growers are reaping lucrative outputs from farming in the Barind region.

Dr. Islam said green malta being produced locally has gained huge popularity in the region as the growers are reaping lucrative outputs from the farming.

Barimalta1 is more drought-tolerant and tasty than any other exotic variety.
 
Green malta, developed by Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), has been appearing in the markets from different growing areas in plenty for the last couple of years meeting up the demands of the consumers.

Amzad Hossain, a retailer at Shaheb Bazar area in Rajshahi city, is satisfied with the selling trend of the local variety known as BARI Malta-1, adding that around 100 kilograms of malta are being sold every day.