Photo : Messenger
Krishnapur village is located six kilometers south of Sadullapur Upazila town in Gaibandha district. Although the name "Krishna" means "black," the reality is quite different. This picturesque village has over 150 commercial nurseries, where flowers, fruits, and various forest plant seedlings are grown and sold. To the locals, the village is better known as Nurserypara.
Of the 500-plus families in this village, nearly 400 are now involved in the nursery business. There are about 100 formal nurseries in the village. The amount of paddy cultivation in the village's crop fields is very low. Therefore, small businesses selling seedlings have sprung up in the fields and even in the courtyards of houses.
Nursery owners say that about Tk 1 crore worth of seedlings are sold from Krishnapur village every year, meeting the demand of Gaibandha district and spreading across the country. Nursery owners supply truckloads of seedlings throughout the year.
Through nurseries, the people of the entire village have become self-sufficient, and by producing millions of seedlings, they are also playing an important role in protecting the environment. A visit to the village shows that there are only nurseries and seedlings everywhere. From mango, jackfruit, and guava to various indigenous fruits, as well as apple, orange, malta, foreign persimmon, avocado, kiwi, sandalwood, and various medicinal plants are available in these nurseries.
Shahidul Islam, owner of Satata Nursery in Bujruk Pakuria village, said that he used to struggle to make ends meet. In 1990, he started a nursery on his own two acres of land and his fortunes changed. He has about 150 varieties of seedlings in his nursery. After the seedlings are produced, they are sold in different upazilas of the district.
Rafiqul Islam, the entrepreneur of Satata Nursery-2, said that improved varieties of seeds and seedlings are collected from Dhaka, Jashore, and Bogura. These seedlings are then used to produce more seedlings. These are purchased by small traders from different parts of the district at wholesale prices. In addition, they are also being sold locally in retail. Currently, after deducting the cost of labor, fertilizers, and pesticides, he is earning Tk 25-30 thousand per month.
Ayat Nursery entrepreneur Rezaul Karim said that the nursery business is profitable. He has bought 8 bighas of land and built a pucca house by making and selling seedlings.
Akash Nursery owner Shahjahan Kabir said that he took over the nursery business from his father 18 years ago. He has 8 workers working in his nursery. He produces seedlings of various fruit, forest, and medicinal plants including mango, guava, guava, orange, malta, sweet tamarind, and olive. He sells about two to three lakh taka worth of seedlings every month.
On the other hand, employment has been created for thousands of workers in these nurseries set up across the village. Along with men, many women workers are also working in these gardens and have become self-sufficient. Aziron Begum, who works at Satata Nursery, said that she comes to the nursery in the morning and works all day. She said that she is able to run her family very well with the income she earns.
Khorsed Alam, Deputy Director of Gaibandha District Agricultural Extension Department, said that small and large nurseries have been set up in different villages of Gaibandha district. The district agricultural department is ready to provide all kinds of assistance to these entrepreneurs.
Messenger/Fameema
