Nutritious broccoli is being grown in Rajnagar, Sreemangal and Kamalganj in Moulvibazar. Ajmal Ali of Baradal village in Uttarbhag union, Rajnagar upazila, has grown 8,000 broccoli plants on 3 bighas. In Satijhir village of Shamshernagar union, Kamalganj upazila, Oli Ahmed planted 200 broccoli seedlings on a trial basis and got a good yield.

The agriculture department said broccoli, or green cauliflower, is a new vegetable in the district that is becoming more popular by the day, and farmers are profiting from it. It has many benefits and is comparatively more nutritious than other vegetables. Broccoli has been grown on 10 hectares in the district for the first time.

Farmers said they started growing the new vegetable with help from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE). Yields have been good, demand in the market is high and it sells at a good price. Being a new vegetable, buyers are purchasing more out of curiosity.

Ajmal of Rajnagar told Jagonews24: "I have been growing vegetables for a long time. I have all kinds of vegetables on my 4 acres. This year, encouraged by the agriculture department, I grew 8,000 broccoli on 3 bighas. Each piece is selling for Tk 35 to 40. I hope to earn Tk 3 lakh."

Oli Ahmed of Satijhir village in Kamalganj told Jagonews24 that he received training and 200 broccoli seedlings through the DAE and got the success he hoped for after planting them. As it is a new vegetable, many people are buying it out of interest. He said each broccoli sells for Tk 35 to 40, and if the market holds he can sell Tk 7,000 to 8,000 worth. He hopes to plant 1,000 broccoli seedlings next year.

Kazi Lutful Bari, deputy director of the DAE in Moulvibazar, told Jagonews24 that broccoli, the green cauliflower, is a new vegetable for Bangladesh that is becoming more popular every day and profitable for farmers. About 10 hectares of broccoli have been grown in Moulvibazar this year, he said.

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