Farmer Firoz Mia (45) of Dakshinbag village, Bahadursadi union, Kaliganj upazila, Gazipur, has scored a hit growing an early, high-yielding tomato variety. He has already sold more than a lakh taka's worth of tomatoes and hopes to sell more than a lakh taka's worth more. With improved varieties, proper care and a committed agriculture office, he believes a farmer's fortunes can change.

The high-yielding tomato is tasty, so there is strong demand for it in the market and the price is good, which is why farmers are turning to growing tomatoes out of season. Firoz Mia has had remarkable success in his first trial, growing summer tomatoes on one bigha using the mulching method. Hoping to become financially self-reliant, he planted seedlings of the high-yielding variety under mulch, collecting them with help from the upazila agriculture office. He is delighted that the plants flowered and fruited before 45 days had passed since planting.

Firoz said he grew summer tomatoes on one bigha as a trial. Besides mulching paper, he used yellow traps to protect against pests, bamboo poles, rope and string to keep the plants in shape, and a net trellis to control the weather. This cost about Tk 1 lakh, but judging by the yield he expects a profit several times his costs. He believes there is now a prospect of growing tomatoes in the summer and monsoon seasons, instead of winter.

Seeing Firoz's tomatoes, Dulal Mia (50), Mizan Mia and Masum Mia (30) of the same village said they would grow this variety next year. But the interested farmers say the agriculture office must also come forward alongside farmers on such improved varieties.

On the ground, the summer tomatoes were grown on abandoned, uncultivated land. Because mulching paper was used there are no weeds, so the plants have grown well, and almost every plant is hung with bunches of green and ripe tomatoes.

Jannatul Ferdous Asma, sub-assistant agriculture officer for the upazila's Bahadursadi block, said the land has to be well prepared, with the necessary organic and chemical fertiliser mixed in, and beds made before sowing. The beds are then covered with mulching paper.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Farzana Taslim, an agriculturist, said: "The high-yielding tomato variety grown by the mulching method gives a good yield, and demand and prices for it are high in the market. The land where these tomatoes were grown was fallow. Firoz has made a hit growing tomatoes by mulching on this land for the first time. The upazila agriculture office has given him a lot of support."

"By making use of the prospect of growing tomatoes in the summer and monsoon seasons, the shortage of tomatoes in the market out of season can be met, and farmers will also benefit financially," she said. "Besides, many people nearby are now being inspired by Firoz Mia to grow this variety."

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