Winter cabbage being cultivated in summer
Huge profit brings smile to Gaibandha farmers
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Winter cabbage is now being cultivated in the scorching summer heat in Gaibandha.
Sources said instead of the traditional seasonal cultivation of rice, wheat and jute, this is the first time farmers have experimentally cultivated summer cabbage in the hope of more profits.
Farmers are benefitting from the cultivation of summer cabbage which is becoming known as a cash crop.
Cabbage is one of the vegetables that grow in winter. But, even though the winter season is over, there is still a demand for cabbage.
A farmer Belal Mia of Vasarpara village of Phulchari Upazila has cultivated cabbage even in summer and earned more profit.
And the profit is quite enough from cabbage that is hardly available in the market at this time. But due to the demand, he is cultivating cabbage with the aim of catching that market, he said.
Mr Belal has already responded to the area by cultivating drought-tolerant hybrid cabbage in advanced and scientific methods.
Cabbage produced by farmers is reaching from local markets to big markets in the country. Day by day the demand for this seasonal cabbage is increasing.
Farmers say that due to heavy yield of cabbage in winter, they do not get fair prices. So, farmers have started trial cultivation of winter crop cabbage in summer.
Early winter cabbage cultivation is somewhat risky, but has the potential to be highly profitable with proper care.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Gaibandha provides farmers with necessary advice on this.
According to the DAE, the cabbage cultivation has been done in seven upazilas of Gaibandha in the last winter season in about 909 hectares of land.
But, this year the summer experimental cultivation of the winter vegetable has started in this district. Cabbage farmer Belal Mia said he has been cultivating various vegetables for about 10 years.
Gaibandha DAE Deputy Director Khorshed Alam said, "We always try on behalf of the agriculture department so that the farmers can benefit from the farming."