JASHORE, Jan 27: Farmer Manjurul Ahsan has attained economic self-sufficiency by producing squash in Sharsha Upazila of Jashore, with the help of the local Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) office.
By growing a fairly large quantity of winter squash on his one bigha of land along with other vegetables this season, Manjurul Ahsan, also a college student, has earned a substantial profit.
A resident of Shikarpur village in Laxmanpur union of Sharsa upazila and a student of Government Bir Shrestha Noor Mohammad Degree College, Manjurul has been involved in agricultural profession to help his family.
He said that for the past several years, he has been cultivating various types of vegetables and fruits including mango, plums, tomato, cabbage and cauliflower.
Watching videos on YouTube, he managed squash seeds from the upazila following advice of the local agriculture office.
Seeds, as in the case of pumpkin or gourd, are sown at home and planted on the ground using mulching method, he said, adding after about a month and a half fruits start coming.
Squash plant is very similar to that of pumpkin, he said.
There is no way to tell whether it is a pumpkin or a squash plant by looking at the leaves, the tips and the stem.
Manjurul Ahsan said, "I have cultivated the vegetable on about 33 decimals of land following advice of the agriculture officials. As it was the first time, I could not understand how to properly care and that is why cost has been a little bit higher."
However, squash cultivation costs Tk8,000 to 10,000 per bigha of land, he said. Production is five to six tonnes per bigha.
A profit of Tk50,000 to 60,000 comes from each bigha.
Squash is sold at Tk40 to 60 per kg in the local markets; so a substantial profit can easily be made.
"I will grow squash on more land in the future as the crop's production is cost-effective," said Manjurul.
He said each squash weighs between one and a half to two and a half kilograms.
As squash is new to the area as a vegetable, other local vegetable growers are coming to see Manjurul's squash field after learning about its cultivation.
"I am excited and happy to see that the common farmers of the area have been motivated by my squash farming," he said.
Sharsha Upazila Agriculture Officer Palash Kishore Ghosh said, "Squash is an exotic vegetable. It has been cultivated for the first time in Sharsha's soil."
Due to its increasing demand in the market and high profit at low cost, it is assumed that there will be a lot of squash cultivation in the area in the future, added the agriculture officer.