Farmers in Mirsarai, Chattogram, are profiting from growing brinjal and are expanding their plots every year. The brinjal grown here meets local demand and is also taken to Dhaka, Chattogram and other cities. Many farmers grow other vegetables through the year but brinjal in the winter season, and many have changed their fortunes by growing the high-yielding 'tal begun' variety using modern methods.

According to the Mirsarai upazila agriculture office, brinjal has been grown on 120 hectares in the upazila this year, 35 hectares of it tal begun. Most of the brinjal is grown in Zorarganj, Durgapur, Mirsarai Sadar and Khoiyachhara unions. Brinjal from here has been on the market for the past month, and farmers are happy with the good prices so far.

A visit to Hajishwarai in Durgapur union and Purba Khoiyachhara in Khoiyachhara union found farmers at work in their brinjal fields. Some were tending the plants, some picking brinjal and some filling baskets for market, while a few were weighing brinjal on scales in front of village shops.

Shah Emran Selim, a farmer in Purba Khoiyachhara, said: "I have grown tal begun on 50 decimals of land at a cost of Tk 44,000. So far I have sold Tk 32,000 worth. I am selling wholesale at Tk 45-47 a kg, and I can keep selling for about two more months. If prices hold, I can sell about Tk 2 to 2.5 lakh worth of brinjal. I have been growing tal begun for six or seven years. At other times of the year I grow yard-long beans, chillies, sugarcane, cucumber, bitter gourd, sweet pumpkin, cauliflower, tomatoes and other vegetables."

Farmer Nurul Mostafa said: "This time I grew brinjal on 72 decimals, at a cost of about Tk 50,000. I have already sold Tk 80,000 worth, including Tk 27,000 in one go a few days ago. I don't need to take the brinjal to market; the wholesalers come to the field and buy it. I am selling at Tk 47 a kg. If the weather and prices hold, I can sell Tk 3 lakh worth."

He added: "With the income from farming, two of my sons studied and now have jobs, and two more are still studying. I had to sell some land to marry off my five daughters. With farm income, I have bought some land over the past few years."

Asked whether they face any disease or other problems with tal begun, the farmers said: "Tal begun plants are constantly attacked by various diseases and pests. So we have to tend the plants every day and apply pesticide three or four days a week."

Wholesaler Jane Alam Sumon said: "A lot of brinjal is now grown in Mirsarai, and its quality is good, so there is heavy demand in Dhaka and Chattogram. The day before we come to buy, we tell the farmers the price by phone. The next day we weigh it, pack it properly and send it to various wholesale markets."

Mohammad Shahjahan, the sub-assistant agriculture officer in charge of Khoiyachhara union, said: "Cultivation of tal begun and other high-yielding brinjal varieties is increasing in Mirsarai, and farmers are profiting well. We are working to solve farmers' problems."

Mirsarai upazila agriculture officer Pratap Chandra Roy said: "Brinjal cultivation in Mirsarai is growing day by day. Because it is profitable, farmers are keenest on tal begun. Each tal begun weighs 400-800 grams. There is strong demand for it in local and outside markets, so farmers get good prices all year round."

He added: "The agriculture department is always with the farmers. I go to the fields myself and advise growers. Block-level agriculture officers have also been urged to give advice and support to tal begun growers with any problem."

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