Shafiqul Islam, a farmer of Ulashi village in Sharsha upazila of Jashore, has succeeded in growing hybrid bottle gourds. Growing round and long gourds, he is happy with a good yield within 60 days of sowing the seed.

Shafiqul used a small amount of chemical fertiliser along with organic fertiliser. Seeing his success, other vegetable growers have become interested in gourds. He said he had earlier spent Tk 20,000 to 25,000 per bigha on gourds and sold up to Tk 2 lakh worth.

A visit found that Shafiqul has grown hybrid gourds on trellises on one bigha (33 decimals) of land without applying poison. Hundreds of green gourds, large and small, hang under the trellises, a pleasing sight. His cost was Tk 25,000 per bigha. Because they are grown without pesticides, the gourds are in great demand in the market. Farmers in Benapole, Navaran, Bagachra, Sharsha, Kayba, Shyamlagachhi, Kathuria, Jirengachha, Gatipara, Nishchintapur, Shialkona and Basatpur in the upazila have become interested in growing gourds.

Shafiqul Islam said he did not apply any kind of pesticide. Good yields are possible from gourds with little labour, capital and land. With demand for gourds in the market, he is making a good profit. He cuts and sells gourds from the field two days a week.

So far he has sold about a lakh taka worth of gourds. If the weather stays favourable and he can tend the crop properly, the field will produce another 3,000-4,000 gourds. Even selling each gourd at Tk 30, he can earn Tk 1 lakh. In future he wants to grow gourds and other pesticide-free, safe vegetables on a larger scale.

Nazir Mia, a wholesaler at Navaran bazar in Sharsha, said: "Bottle gourd is a beneficial vegetable and is in high demand. On weekly market days farmers from different parts of the upazila bring plenty of gourds. After meeting local demand, gourds from Sharsha go to different districts of the country."

Sharsha upazila agriculture officer Dipak Kumar Saha said: "There has been a bumper yield of gourds this year. Farmers are profiting from gourds by taking advice from agriculture officers. As a profitable crop at low cost, gourd cultivation is increasing every year."

He said: "Alongside supplying farmers with improved gourd seed, the agriculture office is making sure they face no problems in production. Production of pesticide-free, safe vegetables will be increased. We are encouraging farmers to produce vegetables that are safe for the human body."

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