Green bottle gourd vines cover the whole field, with gourds hanging among the leaves and new flowers and buds on some vines. That is the scene at the vegetable field of Lechu Mia in Deflaura village of Tengra union in Rajnagar, Moulvibazar. Bottle gourd farming has changed his fortunes.

Hit by hardship during the coronavirus period, he made a three-month plan and, with help from the agriculture department, began growing bottle gourd on one bigha of land. Spending only Tk 7,000, he has doubled his money and hopes for more. Alongside the gourds he sells yard-long beans, cucumbers and aubergines, and lives comfortably with his family.

According to the agriculture department, Lechu Mia was encouraged to grow bottle gourd through a demonstration under the project for safe crop production using eco-friendly methods during the coronavirus period. He is now self-reliant and farms on his own initiative, having learned new techniques and started growing various vegetables. During the coronavirus period he produced 500 bottle gourds in three months and sold them for Tk 16,000, and production continues. With new techniques raising his vegetable output, he hopes for more profit at low cost and with little labour.

Besides bottle gourd, he is likely to produce Tk 20,000 worth of aubergines, yard-long beans, cucumbers and other vegetables this season. With favourable weather and proper marketing, he could make a profit of Tk 30,000 in four months. Many in the area are now following his lead and taking an interest in vegetable farming.

Lechu Mia told Jago News that in recent years the use of chemical pesticides and fertiliser on vegetables had increased, which is harmful to the human body, and people had largely forgotten about eating safe vegetables. "I am a poor farmer with no land of my own. During the coronavirus period, when everything came to a standstill, I was at a loss how to support my family," he said.

"At that time I began growing bottle gourd by natural organic methods with help from the local agriculture department. The department stood by me with seed, fertiliser and eco-friendly yellow traps and hormone traps. I started the field with new techniques and am now on the road to profit."

Rajnagar upazila agriculture officer Sheikh Iffat Ara Islam told Jago News that Lechu Mia had succeeded in a short time by growing bottle gourd. He was encouraged to grow it through a demonstration under the safe crop production project, is now self-reliant, and the agriculture department has always advised him.

Kazi Lutful Bari, deputy assistant director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Moulvibazar, told Jago News that farmers were encouraged to grow bottle gourd through demonstrations under the project with the department's support. The yields have met expectations, and the department is giving farmers advice and support.

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