With favourable weather and hard work, tomato farmers in Rajbari have overcome the effects of Cyclone Jawad and recent rain, and the district has had a bumper tomato crop.

But unseasonal rain has left black spots and rot on the tomatoes, so farmers are spraying their fields with pesticide again, pushing up costs. Farmers are also worried because tomato prices have fallen somewhat in the market.

In Rajbari, a district washed by the Padma, tomatoes are grown mostly on riverside chars and low-lying land, and most of all in Sadar and Goalanda upazilas. Farmers who planted early got good prices and are still getting them. Traders send the district's tomatoes to Rajbari, Dhaka and other parts of the country.

Growing tomatoes on one bigha costs a farmer about Tk 25,000 to 30,000, including irrigation, land preparation, pesticide, seed, transplanting and labour. On leased land the cost more than doubles. With a good harvest, farmers sell 150 to 200 maunds of tomatoes per bigha.

This time, however, rain has caused small black spots and rot on the fruit, so farmers are getting lower prices. Tomatoes are now selling in the wholesale market at Tk 12 to 16 a kg, or Tk 500 to 700 a maund.

According to the district DAE, tomatoes were grown on 722 hectares in Rajbari this year, slightly less than last year, most of it in Rajbari Sadar and Goalanda. This year 246 hectares were planted in Sadar, 357 in Goalanda, 75 in Pangsha, 35 in Kalukhali and 10 in Baliakandi. High-yielding varieties such as Beautiful, Bipul Plus, Beagle and Mintu Super are grown in Rajbari.

In the Gopolbari area of Urakanda in Sadar upazila, tomato fields stretched across the land, with bunches of green and ripe tomatoes hanging from the plants. Many had rotted or developed black spots after the recent rain. Farmers were throwing rotten tomatoes out of the field and picking ripe ones into baskets. Women from the households were picking alongside the men. They carried the baskets on their heads half a kilometre from the field to fill sacks, which were then taken by van to the district town and other districts for sale.

Farmers Habibur Rahman, Kashem Mondal, Karam Ali Sheikh, Harej Ali Sheikh and Riyad said tomatoes are a profitable crop and they grow them every year. This year the rain has left black spots on the tomatoes, causing many to rot, and prices are now low. The yield was good this time, and they got good prices at first, but because of the rain a few days ago they will not make the profit they had hoped for.

They said the total cost is Tk 30,000 on their own land and about Tk 60,000 to 70,000 on leased land. They are now selling at Tk 15 to 16 a kg, and if the market holds they will make some profit. Because of the rot and spots from the recent rain, they now have to apply pesticide again, raising costs, and the market has fallen. With a good harvest, a bigha yields 100 to 150 maunds of tomatoes, they said.

Rajbari Sadar upazila agriculture officer Md Bahauddin Sekh said the district met its tomato cultivation target this year. Although Cyclone Jawad caused some damage, farmers recovered by applying fungicides and pesticides on their advice, giving a bumper tomato crop, and farmers are getting good prices, he said.

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