Once a day labourer, Sarfaraj now employes over 40 men

Once working as a day labourer for survival, Sarfaraj Ali of Kalikadoba village in Gobindaganj upazila under the district is now proud owner of a highly profitable nursery that employs over 40 workers.“In 1996 I took training on nursery under RD-9 project of BRDB and received Tk 10 thousand as loan to set up a tiny nursery on a 10-decimal plot on contract basis. I started growing saplings of wood and fruit bearing trees and sold those at different markets,” said Sarfaraj.“As my nursery named ‘Nayon Sathi’ gradually earned good reputation, people from far-flung areas started coming to collect saplings from here. Many nursery owners of Dhaka, Sylhet, Manikganj and Sirajganj districts collect saplings from the nursery that now covers 25 bighas of land,” he said.Anisur Rahman, a nursery owner of Belkuchi upazila in Sirajganj district, said this season he bought saplings worth Tk 2 lakh from Sarfaraj’s nursery.“I collect saplings four times a year from Nayon Sathi nursery,” said Alamgir Hossain, a nursery owner of Harirampur upazila in Manikganj district.“Saplings of at least 35 varieties of trees and plants, including wood, fruit bearing, spices and herbal, are produced in my nursery. Demand of saplings, especially those of fruit bearing trees is increasing fast,” said Sarfaraj.“Yearly turnover of my nursery stands at Tk 40 to 50 lakh. Forty to 45 labourers remain engaged in my nursery round the year. I am grateful to upazila agriculture department for extending all possible help to develop the nursery,” he said.Sarfaraj also raised a mother garden of different fruits including mango, lichi for producing quality graft plants that has wide demand in different areas.“Sarfaraj has set a model of successful nursery in this area. Witnessing the success of Nayon Sathi, many other farmers also set up nursery,” said Khorshed Alam, upazila agriculture officer, Gobindaganj.