Lalmonirhat farmer takes expertise to Nepal

Farmer Atul Chandra Roy, 33, from Dakkhin Durakuti village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila's Mogholhat union never imagined he would become an international trainer. But last year, far from the alluvial fields of North Bengal that he is used to, Atul went to share his farming knowledge with colleagues in Nepal.

“I have farmed vegetables since I was in class one,” says Atul, who was unable to study beyond his Secondary School Certificate due to family circumstances. “For the last decade I have produced vegetable seeds, in particular of bitter gourd, chilli, tomato and brinjal.” Atul and his family sell the seeds harvested from their eight bighas of land and an additional four bighas they lease, to a seed company. For his farming expertise Atul has gained quite a reputation.

Following noteworthy farming success again in 2015, Atul was hired by the Bangladeshi seed company that buys his produce to travel to Nepal for three months, from September to November last year, to demonstrate high yield vegetable farming practices.

According to the seed company, Atul was tasked with farming, together with local farmers, high yield tomato, bitter gourd, brinjal and papaya on fifty acres of land in Haripur, Sreepur and Birganj villages of Sunsuri district of Nepal, around 600 kilometres from Kathmandu.

“Nepalese farmers are hardworking and honest,” says Atul, “but they don't know how to produce high vegetable yields. The land we worked with in Nepal is very fertile and suitable for bumper vegetable harvests but they only use general farming techniques. I've been teaching them high yield farming.”

“The new skills we learnt from Atul to produce high yield vegetable crops will benefit us a lot,” says Nepalese farmer Satis Meheta, 55, from Haripur village over phone. He said previously they had only been able to achieve general yields from their fields.

“We used to get only twenty percent result from vegetables,” says another Nepalese farmer Promodh Meheta, 48, from Sreepur village. “We didn't know how to make the most of our land. From our Bangladeshi farmer friend we gained experience and skill. It will bring good fortune to us.”

Lalmonirhat district's branch manager of the seed company, Shahidur Rahman, says Atul was chosen for his experience in producing high yield vegetables. “Our aim is to provide training to Nepalese farming in order that they can produce high yield vegetable seeds for the Nepalese market.”

Back at home, Atul's parents, neighbours and indeed most of the inhabitants of his remote village are proud of his efforts in helping Nepalese farmers. His experience is quite the talk of Dakkhin Durakuti.