Ekramul Haque of Dakshin Char Chandia in Sonagazi upazila, Feni, has profited from growing khira, a kind of cucumber, on a trial basis on one bigha of fallow land. From an outlay of only Tk 7,000 he has sold khira worth Tk 2 lakh. Because there is always demand for khira, other farmers are also doing well from it. The picture was seen in several villages of Char Chandia union, including Dakshin and Uttar Char Chandia and Purba Baro Dholi.

Ekramul Haque was met at Dakshin Char Chandia. He said: "Outside the embankment in this area, because of floods and saline tidal water, no crop other than Aman rice could be grown. This time khira seed was planted on a trial basis on the saline char after the land was prepared. The beds are about one to one and a half feet above the level ground, made by cutting soil from the field and heaping it up. I grew khira on one bigha of land."

"It cost about Tk 7,000," Ekram said. "I started looking after the crop on the advice of agriculture officials. It began yielding within 30-40 days. At first I picked and sold 200-300 kg every other day. In two months I have sold about Tk 2 lakh worth of khira. After wages, the profit is about Tk 1 lakh 80 thousand. Every morning I go to the upazila headquarters and sell the khira to wholesalers."

He said he would be able to sell khira through the current month. "The crop is becoming profitable for farmers. Besides this I have grown mustard, Boro rice, sunflower, tomato, aubergine, watermelon, beans, peas, bottle gourd, pumpkin and other vegetables."

Farmer Md Ismail Hossain has also grown khira on one bigha. He picks it every morning and sells it at market, and after tending his other crops during the day he looks after the khira field in the afternoon. He grew khira last year too, but the crop was damaged by rain. This year, by selling what he harvested, he has made up for last year's loss and made a profit. Besides khira he has grown bottle gourd, sweet pumpkin, bitter gourd and other vegetables.

Sub-assistant agriculture officer Md Ashraf Hossain Patwari said: "Ekramul Haque of the Purba Baro Dholi area is not just a farmer but an agricultural entrepreneur. The upazila agriculture office is constantly giving him advice and support on producing new crops. Following Ekram's example, many are being encouraged to grow khira and other crops."

Sonagazi upazila agriculture officer Main Uddin Ahmed said: "About 255 hectares in the upazila are under khira this year. With favourable weather, farmers have made good profits. Khira farming will grow further. It shows that farmers are becoming familiar with new farming technologies."

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