Rangpur growers happy over excellent yield of vegetables, fair price

RANGPUR, Nov 19: The winter vegetable growers of Rangpur division are overjoyed as they are getting an excellent yield of the produce during the current season.

Harvesting of winter vegetable is going on in full swing across the region and the farmers have become ecstatic with desired output and fair prices of their crop.  

The farmers once used to grow crops like paddy, wheat and jute in their fields. But now, they prefer cultivating vegetables which they find more lucrative. They are now growing high-yielding vegetables like tomato, cauliflower, cabbage, gourd, radish, eggplant, different varieties of spinach for commercial purpose using modern technology.

According to Department of Agricultural (DAE) sources some 49,600 hectares of land were brought under winter vegetable cultivation in 8 districts under the division this season.

Ahedul (45), a farmer of Dangapara village under Taraganj Upazila told The Financial Express, "I cultivated cabbage on one acre of my lands this season instead of paddy as the low price of the paddy disheartened me last season," he said. "I have already earned Tk 25,000 by selling my produce and am expecting more profit during the remaining part of the season.

Witnessing his success some other farmers of his village and adjacent villages have become interested in its cultivation on their homesteads and farmlands, he added.

Joynal Miah, of Boiriganj village of  Mithapukur Upazila, said last season he had to spend around Tk 14,500 to cultivate paddy on one acre of land. But he earned a net profit of only Tk 16,000 by selling the crop. Being disgruntled over the low price of paddy he cultivated cauliflower on the same land this season and has already earned Tk 30,000 as profit. He is quite satisfied with the profit he has achieved so far, he further said.

Deputy Director of DAE Rangpur Zulfikar Haider said that growing vegetables has become more profitable now than traditional crops, like paddy and jute.  The return from paddy is often lower than the production cost. For this reason a good number of farmers are now more interested in cultivating winter vegetables, He also said. The farmers of the region are now much enthusiastic about their work as they have managed to change their fortune from farming winter vegetables. DAE is also providing the farmers with all necessary helps in this regard, he added.  

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