# Son Buys the Land Where His Father Was Insulted, Now Earns Tk 1 Crore Annually From Farming

> From papaya seedlings to a free training centre, he has built a thriving farm and helped nearly 2,000 aspiring farmers

Published: 2026-10-18 · Desk: Latest · Source: TezzFeed Desk · By: Samiaa Jahan Happy

Sumon Ahmed grew up in a poor family in Bailakhali village, Chandpasha Union, Barisal. His father, Abdul Hamid Hawlader, worked as a sharecropper, cultivating crops on other people's land. During Sumon's childhood, one particular incident deeply influenced his life and inspired him to pursue a dream that he eventually fulfilled in his old age.

One day, Abdul Hamid went to deliver a sack of pulse with Suman. After delivering the pulses, a complaint came that he had given one of the owners less pulses, and hence was reprimanded. This event deeply affected the mind of the young boy. That day, Suman resolved to become a farmer of his own land one day.

Due to financial difficulties, Sumon studied until the seventh grade. He then moved to Dhaka to support his family working multiple jobs such as a mason's assistant, laborer and as a painter. In 1982, he got a job as a painter at Hyundai Company in Kuwait. His work later took him to various countries including Qatar, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Eventually, he finally moved to South Africa in 2006.

As Suman travelled the world, he began to see agriculture in a new light. He realized that agriculture was not only a livelihood, but also a profitable business. Suman then went to the Malay Peninsula to gain experience in agriculture where papaya cultivation of Indian Shahi and Kashmiri varieties of papaya specifically intrigued him. He contacted farmers in Kerala to collect seeds of these varieties. Eventually, he purchased the very land where his father had once worked as a sharecropper and transformed it into an integrated agricultural farm, using the money he earned while working abroad as a painter

After returning to Bangladesh in 2019, he began developing an integrated agricultural farm. He excavated ponds, planted hundreds of papaya trees and introduced fish farming. His modest initiative gradually expanded into two farms covering a combined area of 173 acres. One farm contains approximately 1,200 papaya trees and three ponds, while the other has around 400 papaya trees. In addition to papayas, Sumon grows eggplants, ridge gourds and sweet pumpkins. His farm currently employs 15 workers, including six women. According to female worker Jasmine Akhter, employment at the farm has helped improve her family's financial condition. 

Although papaya cultivation remains important to Sumon's business, he believes that producing seedlings offers even greater opportunities. He has already sold papayas worth approximately Tk 17 lakh and expects to earn a profit of at least Tk 8 lakh from the sale. Some papayas, worth an estimated Tk 6 lakh, have been reserved for visitors who regularly travel from different regions to see his farm. Sumon has ambitious plans for seedling production. He aims to produce around 20 lakh papaya seedlings this year, although the account also reports that he has already produced 4.5 lakh seedlings against buyers' orders. Each seedling is sold for Tk 40.

He purchases papaya seeds from India, where the price reaches approximately Tk 4.8 lakh per kilogram. According to Sumon, one kilogram of seeds can produce around 21,000 seedlings, and he earns a profit of Tk 2 per seedling. His farm's income has increased considerably over the years. It earned Tk 6 lakh in 2023, Tk 15 lakh in 2024 and Tk 25.6 lakh in 2025. He hopes to generate more than Tk 1 crore in revenue this year through the sale of papayas, vegetables, fish and seedlings.

To improve production, Sumon has constructed a specialised seedling house for growing papaya seedlings from Indian Shahi and Kashmiri varieties. Its roof is made of high-quality, UV-stabilised polyethylene, which helps regulate temperature and humidity. These conditions support seed germination and the healthy early growth of seedlings. Agriculture Officer Abdur Rouf of Babuganj Upazila has praised Sumon's dedication and innovative approach. He considers the initiative beneficial to farmers throughout the region. Agricultural information officer Nahid Bin Rafiq has also highlighted the increasing national demand for the farm's disease-free, high-yielding seedlings, which are well suited to the local and saline soils of Barisal.

Sumon's contribution extends beyond his own business. In honour of his wife, Delwara Begum, he established the Delwara Agricultural Training Center in Bailakhali. The centre provides free agricultural training, accommodation and meals to aspiring farmers. It is estimated that he has trained nearly 2,000 people from different parts of Bangladesh. Many participants have subsequently established their own agricultural enterprises. Ismail Hossain, a young entrepreneur from Laksam, Cumilla, visited the farm to purchase 200 papaya seedlings and received practical cultivation training.

Sumon's journey demonstrates how determination, experience and innovation can transform a childhood hardship into a successful enterprise. By developing his farm and sharing his knowledge, he is not only achieving financial independence but also helping others build livelihoods through agriculture and restoring dignity to the farming profession.

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