Bright prospect beckons for Gopalganj Sadar Upazila

GOPALGANJ, Feb 06: Cultivation of tomato of the 'origin beauty-2' variety has raised a new hope among the growers in Gopalganj Sadar Upazila (UZ) in recent time.
About 5,500 small and marginal farmers are involved in its farming this year.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Gopalganj office, a total of 820 hectares of land have been brought under tomato cultivation in the district, of which 255 hectares are in Gopalganj Sadar Upazila.
Total production target was set at 43,000 tonnes for Gopalganj district.
Paban Bala, 50, a farmer of Raghunathpur village in Southpara of Gopalganj Sadar Upazila, said, he cultivated tomato of the 'origin beauty-2' species on 128 decimals of land in the current winter season.
"Its growth condition is satisfactory and harvest is going on. By this time, I have sold produce amounting to Tk 0.2 million (2.0 lakh). If the weather condition and price remain unchanged, rest of the tomato could be sold at Tk 0.4 million (4.0 lakh)," he added.
Total spending behind the cultivation was Tk2.30 lakh, Paban told this correspondent during a recent visit to his tomato field in Raghunathpur.
Pradip Halder, sub-assistant agriculture officer (SAAO) at Raghunathpur block in Raghunathpur union of the upazila, told this correspondent that farmers in this region are being highly benefited from the farming of the 'origin beauty-2' variety tomato; because farmers in the area got a large profit in a short duration.
At one stage, Pradip said though the tomato variety's farming needs a big investment, its return is about more than double, due to its high market price.
One kilogram (kg) of 'origin beauty-2' tomato is selling at the rate of Tk40 to 45 in the local markets, Pradip added.
Uttam Biswas (42), son of Krishnapada Biswas of the same village, said, he has cultivated tomato of the 'origin beauty-2' variety on 64 decimals of land near his house this year.
Uttam added, "I have been cultivating tomato for the last two years and got huge profit; this year due to high demand for the variety in this area we will get more profit, compared to the previous years."
Now one maund of tomato is selling at Tk1,500 to Tk1,600 in the local markets, Uttam also said.
Mafroza Akther, upazila agriculture officer (UAO), Gopalganj Sadar upazila, told the FE, "Farmers in the region are being more benefited from the farming of the 'origin beauty-2' variety. A grower can harvest tomato from his field only for 65 to 70 days since the planting."
The UAO said, "If a grower takes high care of his field, he can get five maunds of tomato on an average per decimal land, which will be as per the present market price about Tk8,000. So growers will be naturally more interested in tomato farming."
Abdul Kadir Sarder, deputy director of the DAE, Gopalganj, told the FE, "Soil and weather condition here are favourable. Moreover, farming of the 'origin beauty-2' tomato is highly profitable than other crops like paddy, jute and sugarcane. Farmers in the region get a windfall profit from tomato farming in the robi crop season every year."

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