Farmers in Mirsharai upazila of Chattogram were hit hard by severe floods and faced serious difficulties growing early vegetables. Many are now trying to bring early winter vegetables to market at the very start of the season. Rain lasting until the end of Ashwin this year delayed planting, but with the land somewhat suitable by late autumn, farming families are busy planting and tending seedlings of various vegetables. These are grown commercially, not just for their own needs. At the start of winter, farmers here will send vegetables to Chattogram, Dhaka and across the country; the area's beans, cauliflower, cabbage, radish and aubergine are especially prized.

Farmers said any crop grown early has higher demand in the market and so much greater profit. With less rain this year, according to the farmers, they are turning to vegetables on high land. For more profit at low cost in a short time, there is no alternative to cauliflower and cabbage. High land where water does not collect is suitable for them. Farmers in the upazila's Mohamaya area are making a stir with commercial early vegetable growing.

Rabiul Hossain, a farmer busy with winter vegetables in the Ambaria area, said: "Vegetables from here are valued everywhere, including Chattogram and Feni, but you get more profit if you grow them early. With modern methods it is now possible to grow pesticide-free vegetables. Insects will attack vegetable fields, so they can be controlled with various modern methods without pesticides. Because pesticide use in vegetable fields here is fairly low, the quality is the best and demand is much higher."

In East Durgapur village, farmer Jane Alam has planted cauliflower and cabbage seedlings to catch the winter vegetable market. "Our vegetables will reach the market towards the end of Kartik," he said. "I collected seedlings from a nursery, but intermittent rain made planting a little difficult. About 35,000-38,000 cabbage and cauliflower seedlings will be planted on three and a half acres."

Each seedling will cost them about Tk 5-7. Within two and a half to three months, each head will sell in the field for Tk 15-20. The two farmers hope to earn Tk 3.5-4 lakh from the fields in just three months.

Rezaul Karim, a vegetable grower in East Khaiyachhara village, said land is being prepared. Next week he will sow radish seed and plant cabbage and cauliflower seedlings; the crop can be marketed 75-80 days after planting. This year he is preparing to grow various vegetables on 2 kani of land.

According to the Mirsharai upazila agriculture office, early varieties of vegetables were grown on 1,885 hectares in the upazila last year, and the area has grown by 5 hectares this year.

Upazila sub-assistant agriculture officer Kazi Nurul Alam said: "Farmers lean towards the crop that brings profit. Not just in this upazila, there is huge demand for vegetables across the country this year, so farmers are turning to early vegetables hoping for more profit. Growers are now contributing greatly to the national economy by growing various vegetables commercially."

Upazila agriculture officer Pratap Chandra Roy said: "The floods caused major damage to agriculture. We are trying to stand by farmers in the field by assessing their losses and advising them. To overcome the situation, they are being advised to grow early varieties of crops and vegetables."

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