Orange farming in this area has flourished since its commercial cultivation began under the five-year term (2006-2011) Orange Development Project (ODP) of the DAE. Commercial cultivation of orange is gaining popularity at different upazilas of the district as the growers are getting bumper production of the fruit in recent years. Agriculture office sources said soil and climate of the district are suitable for orange farming. The farmers of the area have been cultivating orange on commercial basis in their orchards and homestead for the last few years, reports BSS. Orange farming in this area has flourished since its commercial cultivation began under the five-year term (2006-2011) Orange Development Project (ODP) of the DAE. During that time growers were provided with necessary supports, including quality sapling, the office sources added. Hafiz Mojibor Rahman, a grower at sadar upazila said he had been successfully cultivating orange in his orchard for the last seven years and selling those at good price. Witnessing his success, a number of farmers have engaged themselves in the cultivation, he added. Local growers claim that proper training, financial and technical assistance can pave the way for large-scale of commercial production of oranges across the district. They requested the government for reviving the expired ODP to ensure further expansion of orange cultivation through providing necessary supports including quality saplings, trainings and technologies to the farmers like before. Md Nazrul Islam, an agriculture officer of DAE said the insolvent farmers who earlier passed hard times have improved their livelihood by cultivating orange. The country is spending huge foreign exchange every year for importing oranges from India and some other countries. But a large quantity of it can easily be grown in Panchagarh and its adjacent districts if government patronised. This would also help to improve the economic condition of the poverty stricken people of the northern region, the officer added.