Early winter vegetable farming gains popularity in Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI, Dec 8: The farmers in different upazilas including Bagha, Mohonpur, Tanore and Baghmara, who used to cultivate paddy in their fields, are now becoming more interested in the cultivation of different early variety winter vegetables due to their high demand and good price in the market.
Now, the farmers are busy in taking care of their vegetables including potato, radish, eggplant, cauliflower, cabbage, tomato, brinjal, amaranth, spinach, and onions.
Meanwhile, many farmers have already started to sell the vegetables in different markets, and at the same time, they are very happy to get quick profit from the sale.
Besides, many farmers have changed their lots by cultivating early variety vegetables in their fields. The cultivation cost of different crops including paddy is increasing day by day, but the price of the produce is very low in the markets; so they are opting to the farming of the vegetables, the farmers said.
While visiting, this correspondent found that a good number of farmers at Bausa, Bazubagha, Gorgori, Pakuria, Arani and Chawkrajapur unions in Bagha Upazila have cultivated the early variety vegetables.
While talking to The Daily Observer, Md. Biplob Hossain, a vegetable trader at Saheb Bazaar Masterpara said that per kg cauliflower is being sold at Tk 70, cabbage at Tk 50, bean at Tk 120, tomato at Tk 120, radish at Tk 50, potato at Tk 22, new potato at Tk 70,  pointed gourd at Tk 60, malabar nightshade at Tk 26, bitter gourd at 60, papaya at Tk 20, ladies finger at Tk 60, brinjal at Tk 60, small pumpkin at Tk 30, green chilli at Tk 200, local onion at Tk 55, Indian onion at Tk 47 and green banana at Tk 20 per four pieces.
Wholesalers from across the country throng here daily to buy the vegetables and later sell those at different markets of Dhaka, Chittagong and other big cities and towns.
Rakibul Islam, a vegetable grower of Kuashabari Village in Bagha Upazila, said, "I have cultivated early variety vegetables on one bigha of land this season. I have already sold the vegetables worth Tk 22,000."
He further said, "The farmers here cultivated the vegetables on more lands as they got expected yield and price. Besides, the production cost is lower than the paddy cultivation."
Bagha Upazila Agricultural Officer Sabina Begum said many farmers of Arani, Padma riverbank and Bausa areas in the upazila have changed their lots by cultivating early variety vegetables for the last several years due to bumper production and fair market price.  
As the demand of vegetables with fair price is very high in the markets, the farmers are getting more interest in the cultivation day by day, she added.
Besides, the farmers of Puthia, Mohonpur and Charghat upazilas have also increased the cultivation of the vegetables instead of paddy, the officer also added.