Farmers in Jamalpur are busy growing winter vegetables. Growers hit by this year's heavy rain and floods are turning to winter vegetables to make up their losses. So far 11,970 hectares have been planted, and their produce will reach the market soon. Farmers hope to profit if prices stay good.

Farmers were seen busy in the char fields of Sharifpur, Lakshmirchar, Tulshichar and several other unions of Sadar upazila. Because the land of this district on the banks of the Jamuna and the Brahmaputra is fertile, large amounts of winter vegetables are grown, especially in its char areas and plain upazilas.

According to the district Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), a bumper winter vegetable harvest is expected this year as the weather is favourable. Every year the district's vegetables meet local demand and also supply the capital, Dhaka, and other districts.

The vegetables grown in the district's upazilas include cauliflower, cabbage, brinjal, radish, tomato, beans, bottle gourd, spinach, red amaranth, coriander and many more.

Fazlu Ahmed, a farmer in Sharifpur union, said: "We are now planting all kinds of winter vegetables. If the weather stays favourable, the yield will be good."

Md Anik, a farmer in Lakshmirchar, said: "We are busy growing winter vegetables now. But pesticide, fertiliser and seed are expensive. So if prices are good when we harvest, we will make a profit."

Zakia Sultana, deputy director of the district DAE, said: "This year the target for winter vegetables in the district is 17,250 hectares. So far 11,970 hectares have been planted, and this will rise further. The agriculture department is giving every kind of support for a good harvest."

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