Farmer Abdur Rahman Bhuiyan is on course to profit from growing red amaranth (lalshak). This season he spent Tk 30,000 growing the leafy vegetable on 180 decimals of land, and has earned Tk 60,000 by selling a quarter of it.

Md Abdur Rahman Bhuiyan farms in East Chandrapur village of East Chandrapur union in Daganbhuiyan upazila, Feni. He is hoping for a good profit from this season's 180 decimals of red amaranth, and with the weather favourable he expects to do well.

The upazila agriculture office says there has been a quiet revolution in farming in Daganbhuiyan. Farmers once grew only paddy; now many grow different varieties of red amaranth using modern methods. Because the profits are higher, the crop has become very popular among farmers. About 80 hectares in the upazila are under high-yielding red amaranth this year.

"I used to farm fish on this land. I am basically a fish farmer," Abdur Rahman Bhuiyan said. "This season there was a water shortage at the farm, so I grew red amaranth. On the advice of the agriculture department I grew it this way last year and sold about Tk 60,000 worth. I am hopeful I will profit much more this year."

Abdullah Al Maruf, sub-assistant agriculture officer for East Chandrapur union, said: "Red amaranth has changed the picture of the rural economy. Farmers in these villages are now very experienced in growing it, and we give them all the support they need in their farming. I hope they will profit much more from red amaranth this time."

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