Farmer Md Abu Sayeed dreams of earning Tk 50 lakh from tomatoes grown on a hill slope about 300 feet above the plain. On 4 acres of leased hillock land at Mestarir Char, a border area of Shantipur in Matiranga upazila, Khagrachhari, he has caused a stir by growing the Smart-1217 tomato variety for the first time. Besides his own economic success, he has given work to many unemployed people.

At remote Mestarir Char in Shantipur, yellow-green tomatoes hang from trellises. Up on the hill, green, yellow and ripe tomatoes glisten in the sunlight. Alongside his workers, Md Abu Sayeed tends the plants and picks ripe tomatoes.

Between tasks he told this correspondent that in 2022 he visited a friend's fruit orchard and was surprised to see tobacco grown over wide stretches of hill land. He dreamt then of an agricultural revolution on this promising land in place of tobacco. With that aim he leased 12 acres of hill land and began growing the Smart-1217 hybrid tomato, from the Bogura Agro-1 company, on 4 acres.

He planted Smart-1217 seedlings on the 4 acres of hill slope in late October. Each plant yields an average of 8 to 10 kg, and the average yield per acre is 40 to 45 tonnes. The fruit is oval, firm and an attractive red. Harvesting can begin within 60 to 65 days of sowing. Each plant bends under the weight of the tomatoes, so it has to be tied to bamboo stakes.

"This is a virus-tolerant variety suited to early and seasonal cultivation. Officials of Bogura Agro-1 Limited have been advising me on tomato growing all along. On my land 10 to 12 workers are employed permanently on monthly wages, and another 5 to 7 work on a temporary basis. In phases, different vegetables will be grown on the same land," Md Abu Sayeed said.

He said he will be able to sell 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh kg of tomatoes from this land. "Because it is mid-early, the tomato price isn't what I hoped, but at current market rates I will be able to sell Tk 40 lakh to Tk 45 lakh of tomatoes. Producing the tomatoes will cost Tk 16 lakh."

Saying the hills have much promising farmland, the agricultural entrepreneur said: "Elsewhere in the country land goes under water in the monsoon, so crops are damaged. Water does not stand on the hills, so every kind of farm produce can be grown here. The tomatoes grown in my garden can meet Khagrachhari's needs and demand in other parts of the country too."

Md Amir Hossain, who works on Abu Sayeed's land, said: "I work in this garden. I run my family and I am at ease, because I don't have to look for daily work. I am used to farm work, so I like it. I like it, so I am well."

Krishibid Md Sabuj Ali, Matiranga upazila agriculture officer, said: "Besides the plains, there is great potential for growing tomatoes on the hill slopes, and farmer Md Abu Sayeed is a unique example. With hard work and the right advice, farmers in this region can bring about a revolution in agriculture and meet the country's demand for farm produce."

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