Growing bottle gourd, a profitable vegetable, on 48 decimals of land for six months a year costs Tk 20,000, and the crop is sold for Tk 1.5 to 2 lakh. The sales pay for running the household and the children's education. This is the story of Md Faruk of Kanai Nagar village in Dhania union of Bhola Sadar upazila, who has changed his fortunes by selling bottle gourd. Following his example, many farmers in the village have started growing it, so the number of bottle gourd growers is rising.
On the ground, it was learned that Md Faruk (40) farms in East Kanai Nagar village in Ward 4 of Dhania union. Five years ago he started growing bottle gourd on 18 decimals of land from the month of Ashwin to Chaitra. He succeeded in the very first year and from the next year began growing it on a larger scale. He now grows bottle gourd on 48 decimals, spending Tk 20,000 over the six months. Each gourd sells for Tk 70-80, and the year's crop fetches Tk 1.5 to 2 lakh. For the other six months he grows paddy.
Family and neighbours
Md Faruk said that with the money from bottle gourd he is running the household well, including the education costs of his three children. He has bought some cows and a few decimals of land. He has changed his fortunes by growing this vegetable.
Faruk's youngest son Alam said he is in Class 10 this year. Alongside his studies he tends the gourd field and does other work, so no labourers are needed, which saves his father money.
Local farmer Md Alauddin Mia said Faruk had made a lot of money from bottle gourd over the past few years, and his house and lifestyle had changed a great deal. Seeing that, many farmers in the village now grow bottle gourd, and many are succeeding.
Local bottle gourd grower Md Selim (45) said that, following Faruk's example, he spent Tk 18,000 growing bottle gourd on 44 decimals. On the advice of agriculture officials he applied fertiliser and pesticide correctly, and the field has produced plenty of gourds. He has sold Tk 1 lakh worth so far and can sell another Tk 1 lakh from what remains.
Binoy Krishna Debnath, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Bhola, told Jagonews24: "We in the agriculture department are trying to make all farmers self-reliant by giving them training and proper advice. As a result, many farmers have become self-reliant with our guidance and advice."
Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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