Farmers in Mirsarai, Chattogram, have grown winter vegetables on 1,800 hectares this season. Farmers across the upazila's 16 unions and two municipalities are now busy tending their crops. Some vegetables have already gone on sale and growers are getting good prices. Most of the vegetables may take another 15 days to a month to harvest.

Of the land, 650 hectares has so far been planted with beans, and seedlings of red amaranth, spinach, radish greens, aubergine, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, bottle gourd and other winter vegetables have been planted on another 600 hectares. Farmers are already taking leafy greens and some vegetables to market.

In Middle Wahedpur, in the upazila's Wahedpur union, farmer Riaz has grown snake gourd and bitter gourd on part of 15 decimals of land and sweet pumpkin on another part. He was tending the crop with one hired hand. "I have divided one plot to grow three kinds of vegetable. If the weather stays good, I hope for a good yield," he said.

Jamshed Alam, a farmer from Noapara in Mirsarai municipality, said: "This time too I have grown different winter vegetables on about 1 acre. I have sold red amaranth and radish at market. Cauliflower, cabbage and the other vegetables will take more time to bear. Elsewhere winter vegetables are grown earlier, but here they are sown a little late. They will be ready for market when winter fully sets in."

Naderuzzaman, a farmer from East Khaiyachhara, said he had grown cucumber on 22 decimals of land and sown red amaranth seed alongside it as a companion crop. The red amaranth was ready to sell before the cucumber. Red amaranth is fetching a good price now, selling wholesale at Tk 45-50 a bunch. Once the red amaranth is sold, he will apply organic fertiliser for the cucumber.

Sub-assistant agriculture officer Kazi Nurul Alam said: "The winter vegetables grown in the upazila are not yet fully ready for sale. They will come to market fully in mid-November and the first week of December. I hope farmers will get good prices this time. Most winter vegetables are grown in the Durgapur, Khaiyachhara, Saherkhali and Wahedpur unions."

Pratap Chandra Roy, the Mirsarai upazila agriculture officer, said: "The soil of Mirsarai upazila is suitable for winter vegetables. Many farmers start growing them after harvesting Aus paddy. But seedlings are planted a little late here. If the weather stays good, winter vegetables will start arriving at market quickly."

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