Many farmers get by with cultivation all year but look to the winter season for bigger profits. One of them is Md Habib, a farmer aged over 55 who has been farming for 20 years. He is among the seasonal growers who make a profit, and this year again his land has yielded well. He has grown cauliflower and lau shak (bottle gourd leaves), and green crops now cover his two and a half bigha.
Habib is the son of Saijuddin of Hamchhadi Paschimpara village in Baidyer Bazar union of Sonargaon, Narayanganj. He is not just a seasonal farmer but cultivates all year round. This winter he grew cauliflower and bottle gourd leaves on his own two and a half bigha, and the crop has brought a smile to his face. Within the next 15 days he will harvest all the greens and sell them at market.
Costs and expected returns
The farmer says he has spent Tk 50,000 on the vegetables so far. Organic fertiliser, TSP and cow dung have been applied. These greens take at least 40 to 45 days to be ready for harvest, and his crop is now a month old. With regular watering and care, his crop is a pleasure to see.
Habib says he spares no effort from planting to harvest. As a professional farmer he makes a profit every year, and this year he expects a profit of Tk 50,000, with the vegetables selling for at least Tk 1 lakh. There are more than 2,000 cauliflowers and bottle gourd plants in the field, and the yield is much better than last year. He has grown cauliflower on one and a half bigha and bottle gourd leaves on one bigha.
"Before I became a farmer, I did various jobs and ran small businesses, but I did not succeed," he said. "When I started farming, my life began to turn around. Now I live well from this profession, with a happy family of my wife and three children. After the harvest, I will sell wholesale at the village's Dulalpur bazar."
Agriculture office view
Sonargaon Upazila Agriculture Officer Afroza Sultana said: "This year cauliflower and bottle gourd leaves have yielded well. Sonargaon now has 9,220 hectares of farmland in total. We keep in regular touch with all kinds of farmers. We do not think of giving benefits based on the crop; we serve growers of all farm produce. Along with disease-free cultivation, we give various advice for good yields."
Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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