Tomato farming has changed the economic picture of Khalilpur, a remote village in Pabna, and several villages around it. Farmers' steady success with the winter vegetable has earned the village the name "tomato village", and after meeting local demand its tomatoes are supplied across the country straight from the village.

According to available information, Ansar Ali first grew tomatoes commercially on remote Char Khalilpur in Sagarkandi union of Sujanagar upazila two decades ago. He had great success from the start, and seeing it, farmers in several nearby villages turned to tomatoes. Almost all the land in the area has now become tomato gardens.

"Growing improved tomato varieties with organic pesticides makes it easy to make a profit," said agricultural entrepreneur Ansar Ali. "Alongside the usual Mintu Super variety, I have grown the Sultan Suleman and Miracle varieties. Miracle tomatoes are big and very attractive, so they fetch a higher price than other tomatoes. Each tomato weighs at least 500 grams. All in all, tomato farming has changed the fortunes not only of me but of many farmers in the village."

Farmers said growing tomatoes on 1 bigha costs Tk 25,000-27,000 including fertiliser, seed and labour. This year the yield was 200-300 maunds a bigha, and tomatoes are selling at Tk 500-600 a maund. Net of production costs, the tomatoes from each bigha are selling for about Tk 80,000 to Tk 1 lakh 30 thousand. Every year they make a profit of Tk 60,000-70,000 a bigha, which is why farmers are leaving other crops for tomatoes. But with no storage in the villages, large quantities of tomatoes rot every year towards the end of the season, and farmers want a vegetable store built in the village.

Selim Mondal, a farmer in Khalilpur village of Sagarkandi, said: "Early in the season the price is good. Often traders buy the tomatoes of a whole field and leave the land after taking the tomatoes within 2 to 3 months. But most farmers sell to traders themselves. The traders are mainly outsiders who come here, go round different areas buying tomatoes and take them away by truck."

Manik Sheikh, a farmer from the same village, said: "With favourable weather this year, yields reached 200 to 350 maunds a bigha. Prices at the markets are also good, and the tomatoes sell as soon as we take them there. We are having very good days growing tomatoes."

Beyond commercial success, the farmers of these villages have set an example in producing safe, poison-free tomatoes with organic methods. Wholesalers come from far away to buy the village's tomatoes for their attractive size and famous taste, and they are supplied to Dhaka and across the country. But poor roads make transport difficult.

"Produce from the land on this char has to be carried by van. It is very hard to drive a van of tomatoes on this road, and sometimes the van overturns. Because we cannot sell the produce on time, we suffer heavy losses. If a paved road were built in this remote area, it would be very good for us," the traders said.

The district agriculture department says tomatoes have been grown this year on the wide chars of Khalilpur, Char Khalilpur, Kalikapur and Nazirganj Purba villages in Sagarkandi union of the upazila. This year tomatoes have been grown on about 300 of the area's 350 hectares, about 25 per cent of the district's total production target.

Saying farmers had made big profits from tomatoes this season thanks to good prices, Dr Md Jamal Uddin, deputy director of the Pabna Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), said: "Growing tomatoes on char land has changed the fortunes of farmers in that area. The government has also given incentives. They can grow more tomatoes, and for that we are helping with training, quality seed, fertiliser and pesticide, and farm incentives. More help will be given in future."

"The road running through the char from Khalilpur bazar is in a terrible state. We will contact the local representatives and the LGED to get it repaired, so that farmers in this area can easily market their crops," he said.

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