Although winter vegetables have reached markets elsewhere in the country, they have not yet arrived in full in Mirsarai upazila, Chattogram. According to the upazila agriculture office, winter vegetables will reach markets fully in mid-November and the first week of December this year. Some farmers are already getting good prices by selling early vegetables.

Winter vegetables are being grown on 1,200 hectares in the upazila's 16 unions and two municipalities this year. So far, beans have been planted on 600 hectares, and red amaranth, spinach, aubergine, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, bottle gourd and other winter vegetables on the remaining 600 hectares. Farmers are getting good prices for vegetables sold at the start of winter.

Saifullah of Madhya Wahedpur village in Wahedpur union said he has grown aubergine on 17 decimals and cauliflower on 22 decimals. Many seedlings died because the soil became too moist, but he is replacing seedlings at the last minute to avoid a loss, and hopes good prices will make up for the damage.

Abdul Hannan of the same area said he has grown cucumber on 15 decimals, sowing red amaranth seed as a companion crop. The amaranth was ready to sell before the cucumber, and prices are good: a bunch of red amaranth sells wholesale at Tk 35-40. Once the amaranth is sold, he will apply organic fertiliser for the cucumber.

Nurul Huda, a farmer in the Ambaria area, said: "I've grown cabbage on 30 decimals and sold at market three times in the past week. The prices are good. If they hold to the end, I hope to make a good profit."

Sub-assistant agriculture officer Kazi Nurul Alam told Jagonews: "The winter vegetables grown in the upazila are not yet fully ready to sell. They will come to market in the last week of November and the first week of December. Farmers will get good prices this time. Most winter vegetables are grown in Durgapur, Khaiyachhara and Wahedpur unions."

Upazila agriculture officer Raghunath Raha told Jagonews: "More land in the upazila is being prepared for cultivation. If the weather stays good, winter vegetables will start coming to market soon."

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