Strawberry cultivation creates new hope among Gopalganj farmers

Our Correspondent
GOPALGANJ, Feb 24: Farmer Dilip Bala has become self-reliant by cultivating strawberry on a large-scale.
Dilip Bala of Raghunathpur village under Gopalganj Sadar has been farming the juicy fruit on 26 decimals of land the last four years. Every year he makes a good profit from it due to high market rate.
Earlier in the year of 1999, Dilip went to Kuwait as an agri-labourer. He had worked in different croplands including strawberry. Later, he came back in July, 2014 and started farming strawberry on his own land.
He said he made a profit of Tk 0.2 million last year. He also expressed the hope of earning Tk 0.3 million this season. The grower said weather of the area is suitable for farming the popular fruit. He said farmers can grow the item for more profit. It has a good demand across the country and abroad.
Dilip said many farmers of his neighbour villages have started farming strawberry. Some of them come to his for suggestion.
He said production, marketing, preservation and loan facilities are important for the fruit farming.
One kg of strawberry is sold at Tk 500 to Tk 600 in the local markets. But the same amount of fruit is sold at Tk 800 to Tk 900 in the capital. He urged the authority concerned to reduce such discrimination for the betterment of the farmers.
Dipak Kumar Halder, professor of Department of Botany at Bangabandhu University College, Gopalganj, said strawberry cultivation is easy and simple. It does not require any chemical fertilisers. Farmers need mustard oil cake for it.
Samir Kumar Goshwami, deputy director, Agriculture, Gopalganj, said many farmers have started strawberry cultivation in Sadar, Tungipar and Kasiani upazilas this year on commercial basis.
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