Tomatoes bring fortune for them

Tomato cultivation has brought good luck for two Brahmanbaria farmers, setting an example for others.
The farmers earned a profit of Tk 4,00,000 in the last year by dint of perseverance and hard work.
In the running season, harvesting is yet to complete. Meanwhile, they have sold tomato worth Tk 17,00,000, and they expect to make a profit of Tk 10,00,000 from the sales by the end of the season.
But the beginning was not smooth sailing for Md Mohiuddin and Md Jamal Uddin, hailing from Muhammadpur village under Sadar upazila in the district.
In 2009, they took lease of some cultivable land in their village and engaged themselves in cultivating various vegetables. But the initiative was an utter failure in the absence of much-needed training.
The duo then received training under the National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP) of the Department of Agriculture Extension in the district in 2010.
They developed expertise on how to prepare compost, and how best to use chemical fertiliser. They also got the know-how to grow vegetables without using pesticides.  
They did not look back since they took lease of three bighas of land in 2013 and cultivated “summer seasonal tomato-4”.  
Md Mohiuddin, one of the two successful farmers, said that they had earned a good profit in the season.
Being inspired, the farmers again leased 15 bighas of land at nearby Ghatiara village and cultivated hybrid winter seasonal tomato called “Raja hybrid tomato” in October last year.
Md Bachhir Uddin, acting deputy director of the DAE in Brahmanbaria, said the duo would easily make a profit of Tk 10,00,000 by the end of the season.
Another farmer Jamal Uddin said they had been cultivating tomato using modern technology.  
The jubilant farmers said the production cost could be scaled down and output could be enhanced if fertilisers, pesticides are applied following the instructions of the DAE.
Bachhir Uddin said the success of tomato cultivation had drawn the attention of at least 200 local farmers, who are likely to cultivate hybrid tomato in the next season.
Dr Muhammad Musharrof Hossain, deputy commissioner of Brahmanbaria, has recently visited the area to see the latest development of the tomato cultivation.
The DC said the two farmers had not only made a fortune, but also set an example for others to become self-reliant.