Advanced-variety winter vegs come as a boon for farmers in north

Thousands of farmers in the northern region including Sirajganj, Bogura and Lalmonirhat districts have now become self-sufficient by cultivating around 40 advanced varieties of winter vegetables on their Char lands (shoal) emerged at different places in Jamuna, Teesta, Dharla, Saniajan and Ratnairivers.

Local economists said about Tk 1000 million is now being earned from this region daily by selling vegetables. The earnings from early winter vegetables go up every year.

During the visit of the areas this correspondent found that at least 40 varieties of vegetables including carrot, potato, sweet potato, coriander leaves, bean, tomato, onion, chilli, brinjal, lady's finger, radish, sweet pumpkin and cauliflower have been cultivated on the shoal lands.

Farmers cultivate all around the year except three months of rainy season. They are cultivating those crops on a commercial basis due to development of road communication in the area. They now can transport those goods to different districts including Dhaka and Chattogram easily.

Rahmat Ali, a farmer of Chaliabari village in Sariakandiupazila of Bogura district, said, "We are supplying the goods to different parts of the country including Dhaka and Chattogram after fulfilling the local demands".

He further said, "Due to good yield of various advanced varieties of vegetables, we are getting good profit."

"This type of sandy land is also suitable for watermelon and ground nut farming," he added.

RoghuNathMondal, another farmer of Mesrarchar village in SirajganjSadarupazila, said, "Once, farm-labourers of those areas use to pass idle time for want of works. Many also use to face Monga and move to different affluent districts including Dhaka in search for work. But now, farm labourers earn a good amount of money from this sector".

Mamunul Islam Pappu, Owner of Dhaka Seeds Store (Dhaka Biz Bhandar), said, "Some high quality seed producing farms have started seed production in northern region including Durgapur, Mogolhat, Karnapur, Kazipur and Sariakandi areas. Consequently, farmers are getting high quality of seeds with reasonable prices."

Besides, hundreds of unemployed farm-labourers in the area, who use to pass idle time few years back, now get work opportunities in the farm-lands. As a result, poverty, locally called as 'Monga' has almost become disappeared from the villages showing the ray of hope to the farmers.

Motlubur Rahman, Deputy Director (DD) of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Bogura, said, "Huge quantities of vegetables are going to different areas of the country everyday from here by trucks. Selling vegetables, many poor farmers in the area have changed their livelihoods and are now leading happy life with their families."

Meanwhile, many villages in the region including Chaluabari, Kazla, Narchi, Poolbari and Kutubpur in Sariakandiupazila of Bogura district, Charkazipur, NatunMeghai, Boroitoli, Polashpur, Manikpotol, Machhuakandi, Khudbandi, Natuarpara and Singrabari in Kazipurupazila, Mesrarchar and Kawakolachar in SirajganjSadarupazila of Sirajganj district, Durgapur, Mogolhat and Karnapur in Lalmonirhat district have gained the title as vegetable village due to huge production of vegetables around the year.

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