Farmers make windfall profit producing gourd in Pabna

PABNA, Nov 10: The farmers of Atgharia upazila in the district earn huge profits by cultivating gourd throughout this year.

Some farmers also cultivate different vegetables, including gourd, spinach and radish, due to their high prices in markets.

But, they choose gourd as the main cash crop. Due to this, Atgharia is now known as gourd upazila (Lau Upazila) to local people.

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Pabna said that farmers would sell gourd worth about Tk 3 crore in Atgharia upazila this year.

DAE sources said various types of vegetables have been cultivated on 15,750 hectares of land in nine upazilas of Pabna district this year. Out of this, 887 hectares of land has been brought into gourd cultivation.

Most farmers of Atgharia upazila are cultivating 'Baromasi' variety of gourd to earn huge profits.

Gourd trees surrounded by greenery are adorning the village fields of this upazila. Farmers have planted gourd seeds in August this year.

They are spending busy time for repairing the gourd loft in the land, taking care of the trees.

Currently, they are getting good prices by selling gourds. Some 50 to 60 gourds are being collected every day from one bigha of land, farmers say.

Each gourd is being sold to wholesalers for Tk 25 to Tk 35. Wholesalers buy gourds from this market and supply them to different places of the country, they add.

Agriculture workers give advice to farmers to prevent various diseases in the gourd fields.

Hafizur Rahman of Srikantapur village of Atgharia upazila has cultivated gourd alongside his teaching profession.

"I've cultivated gourd on one bigha of land. He is producing vegetables by using only organic fertilisers, said Hafizur," an ICT teacher at Srikantpur Mahila Dakhil Madrasah.

He also says he expects to earn about Tk 01 lakh even though he spent Tk 25,000-30,000 on cultivating gourd on one bigha of land.

"I've learned how to grow gourd by watching YouTube. I planted gourd seedlings after watching YouTube. At present, I have grown gourd on about one bigha of land. I hope that I can sell the yield for Tk 0.1 million ( 1 lakh)."

Dr Jamal Uddin, deputy director of the Pabna DAE, told The Financial Express that most of the farmers in the villages of Atgharia Upazila are benefitting from cultivating gourd than other vegetables this year.

"Farmers are getting good prices by selling gourds this year. For this reason, Atgharia upazila is known as gourd upazila (Lau upazila) to the locals." [email protected]