Fifteen Friends Transform College Dream into Large-Scale Sustainable Orchard Venture
Two decades after first conceiving a dream as university students, a group of 15 friends has transformed a shared vision into a thriving reality, establishing an expansive, sustainable fruit enterprise across 45 bighas of land in Chapainawabganj’s Nachole and Naogaon’s Niamatpur. The initiative, branded as "Growers Group," serves as a testament to both lifelong camaraderie and a commitment to modern, chemical-free agricultural practices.
The group, comprised of professionals ranging from corporate executives and university professors to government officials, began their journey in 2005. Driven by a collective desire to provide safe, pollution-free produce to their families and the broader community, they meticulously saved personal funds for years before launching the venture in July 2021. By pooling nearly 10 million taka, they secured long-term leases to cultivate a variety of crops, including premium mangoes, maltas, oranges, bananas, longans, dragon fruits, and pomegranates.
The project relies on Integrated Crop Management (ICM), emphasizing soil health as the foundation of productivity. According to entrepreneur Mafizur Rahman, the team prioritizes organic inputs, utilizing 30 to 40 kilograms of decomposed cow dung per planting pit, supplemented by Trichoderma asperellum to foster soil biodiversity and natural immunity in the plants. The group also maintains rigorous oversight by sending soil samples to the Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University laboratory to monitor pH levels and nutrient requirements, ensuring precise fertilization.
Pest management is handled through eco-friendly alternatives, such as yellow sticky traps and fruit bagging, which eliminate the need for routine chemical spraying. These methods have proven not only effective for crop quality but also highly cost-efficient; the group reports spending only 50,000 to 100,000 taka on pest control, compared to the 500,000 taka typically spent by conventional orchards of a similar size.
Professor Mohammad Ishak, a soil scientist at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University and a founding member of the group, emphasized that the orchard serves as a practical application of the sustainable agricultural theories taught in classrooms. He noted that by maintaining soil integrity, the group aims to set an example for the country’s educated youth, proving that profitable farming can coexist with environmental stewardship.
The project’s impact is already resonating with the local farming community. Neighboring farmers, who initially expressed skepticism toward the group's unconventional methods, are now seeking to adopt these organic practices to reduce their own production costs and improve yield quality. Local agricultural officials have also lauded the effort, noting that the orchard represents a model of "Good Agricultural Practices" that could redefine commercial fruit production in the region. With yields already showing significant promise, the entrepreneurs expect to recover their initial capital investment within the next three years.
