Main Uddin of Bidyakut village in Nabinagar upazila, Brahmanbaria, once worked in a barber's shop. After his father's death about three years ago he took up farming to support the family, growing bottle gourd, bitter gourd, beans, brinjal and chilli on a small scale. This season, on the advice of the upazila agriculture office and under the B-Strong project, he grew brinjal for the first time with quality seed and plastic mulching — and got a good crop at the first attempt.

He told BSS he planted the Purple King variety under mulch this year; weeds were fewer, the soil held moisture better, and plant growth and yield were good. He is now picking about 40–45 kg of brinjal a day and selling at Tk 80–100 a kilogram, some days Tk 120 when the market is strong, with regular harvests expected for another two months.

Sub-assistant agriculture officer Safurullah told BSS the plot is visited regularly and advice given, that modern technology can raise farmers' output and income, and that Main Uddin should clear more than Tk 3 lakh by the end of the season.

Nabinagar upazila agriculture officer Md Jahangir Alam Liton said the B-Strong project is encouraging farmers to adopt modern methods; having secured both yield and price, Main Uddin plans to put about four bighas under mulched brinjal, and his success is prompting other farmers in the area to try the technology. The department runs regular demonstrations, training and field days to spread it.

Based on BSS's special report from Brahmanbaria. Source: BSS