Vegetable growers all smiles
Vegetable growers in Lalmonirhat are earning more than expected profits from selling their produces this season.
The situation has arisen as demand of winter vegetables from the northern districts has increased after Cyclone Bulbul in last month damaged vast vegetable fields in the country’s southern region, said farmers and traders.
“We are getting 50 to 60 percent profit from selling vegetables this season,” said Nazrul Islam, 58, a farmer at Kamlabari village in Aditmari upazila.
Mozaharul Islam, 50, of Mogholhat village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila said he has cultivated cauliflower on eight bighas of land where from he has started earning well.
“Now I am selling each cauliflower at Tk 12 or 13 in the field but it was only Tk 6 or 7 in last year. The item sees a huge demand as a good number of traders from Dhaka are buying it from our field,” he said.
Atul Chandra Roy, 40, a vegetable grower at Durakuti village in the same upazila, said after growing bottle gourd on five bighas of land he is getting around 60 percent profit from the sale while it was 25 to 30 percent in last year.
Sarwar Hossain, 55, a farmer at Karnapur village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, said all kinds of vegetables are selling at higher prices this year as traders from Dhaka and other areas are buying these at good prices, following shortage of supply from the southern districts.
“We are buying vegetables at high rates from the growers in northern region for supplying to different markets. There is huge demand of winter vegetables among the customers,” said Ahatul Islam Sarker, 48, a vegetable trader from the capital.
A variety of vegetables have been cultivated on 9,000 hectares of land in five upazilas of the district, said officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Lalmonirhat.
“Generally farmers get good profit from vegetable cultivation. This season they are getting more than expected prices. Our officials always provide technical support to farmers to help them get good yield,” said Bidhubhushon Roy, deputy director of DAE in the district.
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