Farmers in Mirsarai, Chattogram, are profiting from cauliflower, and its cultivation in the upazila is growing day by day. Farmers are happy with the good prices, and wholesalers are buying cauliflower from the fields and taking it to different parts of the country.

According to the upazila agriculture office, cauliflower has been grown on 120 hectares in the upazila this year, mostly in Durgapur, Mirsarai Sadar, Zorarganj, Khoiyachhara and Haitkandi unions.

Saidul Islam Rubel of Noapara in Mirsarai municipality has profited from cauliflower, and many neighbours have become interested after seeing his success. This year he is again growing the crop on 60 decimals. With high profit at low cost, it did not take long for his fortunes to turn.

Farmers sell the cauliflower grown here at markets in the upazila such as Bardarogarhat, Bartakia, Abutorab, Mithachhara and Barayarhat in Mirsarai municipal town. Many wholesalers also buy it from the fields and take it to different cities.

Cauliflower grower Saidul Islam said: "I am a farmer by profession and have been growing cauliflower for the past five years. With good yields and prices, my life has turned around. In the first year I planted only a few seedlings and made a good profit. The next year I grew it on 30 decimals, and that paid too. Since then I have gradually added land, and at the end of October last year I planted seedlings on 60 decimals. I look after them myself every day, and when I can't, I hire day labourers."

"Cauliflower is ready to sell within two to two and a half months of planting," he said. "At harvest I get Tk 40-50 a kg. My cost has been about Tk 1 lakh 20 thousand, and in all I will sell about Tk 4 lakh worth."

Biplob Singha, a farmer from Ambaria, said he had grown cauliflower on 70 decimals this year at a cost of Tk 1 lakh 35 thousand. He has sold cauliflower from part of the land and can keep selling for about another month. So far he has sold Tk 80,000 worth, and if prices stay good he can sell Tk 4.5 lakh worth in all. He does not need to take the crop to market, as wholesalers buy it from the field. Besides cauliflower, he has also grown tomatoes, beans and green chillies.

Upazila sub-assistant agriculture officer Kazi Nurul Alam said: "Cauliflower is an example of a vegetable that earns a lot for little cost. Depending on the area, it can be grown two to three times in the winter season. Farmers are keen because prices are good, and our office is giving them every kind of support."

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