Tidy profit from bottle gourd
Favourable weather, quality seeds and bumper production: for Lalmonirhat's farmers of calabash, the vegetable also called bottle gourd in English and locally known as lau, life right now looks rather rosy. Moreover, with good market availability of the delectable ingredient at fair prices, consumers are likewise happy.
“I spent about Tk 8 producing each calabash,” says Arul Chandra Roy, a vegetable grower from Durakuti village who has specialised in vegetable production for the last twelve years and cultivated calabash on his six bighas of land this year. “I can sell them for Tk 15 – 20 to the wholesalers who visit my fields.” For the last two weeks Arul has been selling up to 200 gourds per day, resulting in a tidy farming income.
“We are happy with prices and bumper production this year,” says farmer's wife Maloti Rani, of the same village. “It's the second year that calabash profits have been good. Our whole family works together in our vegetable fields to achieve an optimal crop.”
In Kamlabari village of Aditmari upazila the situation is similar. There, vegetable grower Habibur Rahman cultivated calabash on eight bighas this year, up from five bighas last year in the hope of a favourable outcome. “I will be harvesting calabash until January,” he says, adding that he hopes for a seasonal net profit of around Tk 2 lakhs.
“Farming calabash on three bighas has cost me Tk 65,000,” says grower Afsar Ali from Karnapur village in sadar upazila. “But in the last seven days I have already earned Tk 25,000 from the harvest and I hope this year I can achieve a net profit of up to Tk 80,000.” The market price of calabash generally falls towards the end of November, he adds, a trend he has factored into his calculations.
Meanwhile in Lalmonirhat town's vegetable market, calabash retails for Tk 20 – 25 per gourd, which realises a profit for a local vegetable trader like Nazrul Islam who has a shop at the BDR market of between Tk 4 – 6 per piece. “We offer advance payment to calabash growers in the field,” he says, “to ensure good access to the harvest; and the vegetable is popular. Currently I can sell up to 250 gourds per day.
According to agriculture extension department officials, calabash is cultivated on 3,200 hectares in five upazilas of the district. Per bigha farming costs average about Tk 25,000; producing upwards of 3,500 gourds within 3 – 4 months.
“Any farmer who cares for their calabash crop properly,” says the agriculture extension department deputy director in Lalmonirhat Bidubhusan Roy, “can expect a decent profit.” The department offers training and advice on using vermicompost to optimise production, he adds.
Comments