Agar planting augers well for farmer Sheikh Siddiq

Sheikh Siddiqur Rahman, a farmer from Jhenaidah, has embarked on a new venture in agar cultivation. Rahman claims to be the first to commercially cultivate agar trees in the area, a crop that has the potential to yield significant profits.

In 2019, he planted 3,800 trees on his 3.5 bigha land, and they have since grown into a sight to behold. Agarwood, the mature wood from agar trees, is used in making perfumes, medicines, soaps, shampoos, and perfumes after being extracted in a special way, burned, and then vaporised and cooled. It is also used in making ‘agarbatti’. 

However, the agar tree is not a widely known crop in the area. In 2007-2008, an organisation called Hunger Free World distributed agarwood seedlings free of charge to hundreds of farmers in the area, but many of them did not know how to extract juice from the agar plant. This lack of knowledge and experience presents a significant challenge for Rahman, who purchased his seedlings from Sylhet and is now tending to the trees with utmost care.

Rahman believes that agarwood is a profitable crop that requires little cost after planting. He only needs to irrigate the trees twice during the dry season and weed in between. However, he also expressed doubts about the market. Despite the demand for agarwood, he is unsure if he will be able to find buyers for his crop.

Mahbubul Alam Roni, the Kaliganj Upazila Agriculture Officer, has offered his support to Rahman, stating that there is demand for agarwood in the market. Roni has only recently learned about agar farming from Rahman and does not know of any other farmers in the area who are cultivating agar trees. However, he believes that if Rahman is successful, they will help him sell his crop.

Sheikh Siddiqur Rahman's foray into agar cultivation has the potential to yield significant profits. However, his lack of knowledge and experience in the area, combined with his doubts about the market, pose significant challenges. Nevertheless, with the support of the Kaliganj Upazila Agriculture Office, Rahman may yet succeed in his dream of cultivating agar trees commercially in Jhenaidah.