Samsul shines in radish seeds, shows way to others

It was only around 10 years ago when Samsul Islam, now 35, of Panchapukur village in Sadar upazila obtained a graduation degree from a local college with a dream like many others to join a government job.

His dream shattered soon when he realised that getting a government job is not that easy.

But he did not lose his heart and decided to do something special in agriculture sector on the 15 bighas of farmland his father has.

With his hard work and innovative agriculture method, Samsul has now become an idol to many in his locality as well as two other adjacent villages.

He has not only changed his own fate, but also the socio-economic state of three villages -- Polashbari, Maricha and Panchapukur -- as many of the farmers are now adopting his cultivation method.

“As the soil here is suitable for radish farming and farmers get a good price of their produce in the early winter,” Samsul said, adding that in an attempt to do something new he started cultivating radish, consulting with agriculture experts.

“I suggested Samsul to cultivate radish twice in a season,” Panchapukur union Sub Assistant Agriculture Officer (SAAO) Anwarul Islam said, adding that one can cultivate radish first in October-November which will bring a handsome profit and then in between December and March, which has a great demand as seeds.

As per the SAAO's suggestion, Samsul started radish seeds cultivation in one bigha land in 2014.

“One kilogram of seed is required for one bigha land with the cultivation cost of Tk 8,000 to Tk 10,000,” said Samsul, son of Hashim Uddin of Panchapukur village.

In the first year, he produced 220 kg seeds and earned Tk 30,000, he added.

Since then, Samsul gradually expanded the area of cultivation and this year he cultivated radish seeds in 10 bighs of land, he said.

Within the next five years, Samsul bought motorcycle, constructed a brick- built house and enrolled his son to a local kindergarten school.

A number of growers like Ekramul, 50, Saiful, 40, Ainul,45, said after incurring consecutive loss in paddy and potato farming, Samsul's innovative agriculture method helped them to get rid of those unhappy days.