A quiet revolution has taken place in carrot farming in Singair upazila of Manikganj. Because the crop pays well in a short time, carrots here are no longer just a crop but the main driver of economic change, and farmers are changing their fortunes by growing them. Known as one of the country's leading carrot-growing areas, Singair now plays an important role in the vegetable markets of Dhaka and other districts and big cities.

• Farmers are denied a fair price for lack of cold storage.
• Carrots have been grown on 905 hectares in the upazila.
• Sales could reach Tk 90 crore.
• Carrots cost little to grow and earn a good profit.

Through the combined efforts of farmers, traders and workers, carrot farming in Singair has become a model of a successful farm economy. Locally, many people now call the area the "carrot village".

According to the upazila agriculture office, carrots have been grown on 905 hectares across the unions of Singair this season. Taking the current average wholesale price of Tk 20 a kg, carrots worth about Tk 90 crore could be sold in the upazila this year.

Local people say the figure could pass Tk 100 crore by the end of the season. Some 2,800 farmers benefit directly, while the crop has created work and income for many carrot traders and hundreds of labourers. Carrot leaves and third-grade carrots are also a major source of feed for cattle and goats.

Singair's sandy loam soil makes it very well suited to carrots. Sown in the Bengali months of Ashwin and Kartik, the crop matures in only 90 to 120 days. This year it has been grown widely in almost every part of the upazila, including Joymontop, Dhalla, Singair Sadar, Shayesta, Jamirta, Talebpur and Baira unions.

According to local farmers, growing carrots on a bigha of land costs Tk 50,000 to Tk 60,000. With a good harvest a bigha yields 120 to 150 maunds. At present a bigha of carrots is selling in the field for Tk 90,000 to Tk 1 lakh, leaving a profit of Tk 40,000 to Tk 60,000 a bigha after costs, far more than any other winter crop.

Md Shamim, a carrot farmer from Chardurgapur in Joymontop union, said: "I have been growing carrots for many years. This year I have grown them on about 150 bighas, my own and rented land. The total cost is about Tk 75 lakh. If the market holds, I can sell carrots worth about Tk 1 crore 35 lakh. Carrots have changed my situation."

Md Mizanur Rahman from the same area said: "I have grown carrots on 35 bighas. It cost about Tk 21 lakh. I process them myself with hired labourers and sell them in different wholesale markets in Dhaka. If sales go well I will earn about Tk 32 lakh."

Md Idris Bepari, a farmer from Deoli village, said: "This season I have grown carrots on 28 bighas at a cost of about Tk 13 lakh. If I can sell them I hope to get Tk 26 lakh to Tk 28 lakh. But the seed traders' syndicate and the high price of fertiliser and pesticide are cutting our profit."

Babul Hossain, a farmer from Char Azimpur, said: "Carrots are far more profitable than other crops. Modern technology has brought a big change to cleaning and marketing carrots. With machines, three times as many carrots can be cleaned in the same time as before."

Md Azmat Ali, a trader from Bhumdakshin village, said: "I buy carrots straight from farmers' fields and supply them to Dhaka and other districts. If prices are stable the profit is good, but towards the end of the season there is a risk of rain."

Md Habibul Bashar Chowdhury, named in the report as the upazila agriculture officer in Singra, said: "The soil and climate of Singair are very well suited to carrots. The use of modern methods has raised both output and quality. If planned market management and storage facilities can be improved, carrots from this area will play an even bigger role in the country's vegetable economy."

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