The vegetables of Boror Char in Mymensingh Sadar upazila are famous across the country, and its green chillies are now going beyond the country to the Middle East and Europe. Three exporter teams have already been formed with more than 60 farmers, and the vegetable exporters' body, the Bangladesh Fruits, Vegetables and Allied Products Exporters' Association, has made good progress on the plan.

A huge vegetable hub has grown up along the Brahmaputra in Boror Char and across Sadar upazila. As far as the eye can see there is only green, only vegetables. Local people say many kinds are grown there, including green chillies, brinjal, tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower and cabbage.

By the government's count, vegetables were grown on 3,000 hectares in the upazila last year, and a larger area is being farmed this year. In Boror Char union alone, green chillies have been grown on 420 hectares. Yields are high and so are profits, so the vegetable area grows day by day.

Farmer Kamrul Islam was working in his chilli field at Boror Char. "This year I have farmed about four bighas, cauliflower and chillies. Here, two bighas are only green chillies," he told Jagonews24.

"These chilli plants will last six to seven months. They were planted in September. I have sold some already. From two bighas I expect 54 maunds of chillies at each picking, every 10 or 7 days. At first I sold at Tk 4,700 a maund; at the last market it fell to Tk 2,100. Because the chillies were early, I got a high price then. From two bighas I hope to get more than Tk 3 lakh in seven months. Costs will be roughly Tk 80,000 to 90,000," he said.

Like Kamrul, many farmers here have grown chillies, which can meet domestic demand and also be exported. The export process has already begun, Kamrul said: "A list of 63 of us has been made in three groups. We will export green chillies."

This was confirmed by Mithun Biswas, field officer of the exporters' association, and a field supervisor of the local agriculture office.

Mithun Biswas told Jagonews24: "I went to Boror Char in Mymensingh. The green chillies there seemed exportable, so I talked to the farmers. We made three teams of 20 each, 63 people in all. Then a team from Khamarbari (in Dhaka) will go, and a team from our association too. After that the matter will be finalised."

He said: "We export vegetables from different places around the country. From Boror Char we will start exporting this year with green chillies for now. Green chillies go mostly to Saudi Arabia, but also to Europe."

Mymensingh Sadar upazila agriculture officer Tahmina Yasmin told Jagonews24: "Some people from the export association came and visited. They talked to the farmers, and groups were formed according to their process. If negotiations with the farmers succeed, there will be exports. That is what I know."

She said vegetables were grown on 3,000 hectares in Sadar upazila last year and more this year. Yields are good and profits high, so the vegetable area keeps growing; this year green chillies alone have been grown on 420 hectares in Boror Char.

Farmers and officials alike are pleased that vegetables from this remote village are being exported, and officials are supporting the effort. But alongside the good news, the vegetable hub on the Brahmaputra faces problems, including poor road infrastructure, which farmers want the government's help to solve.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.