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The floating farming of vegetables is gaining popularity among the farmers under three upazilas of the district amid their high prices in the markets.
Official sources said about 2,574 farmers of low-lying areas under Gopalganj Sadar, Tungipara and Kotalipara upazilas are engaged in farming the vegetables.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), about 273 hectares of land have been brought into the floating vegetable farming in the three upazilas with a production target of 6,825 tonnes.
The farmers are cultivating the vegetables by applying a scientific method and are getting more production in a short time, the sources said.
Lady's finger, gourd, pumpkin, radish, spinach, red amaranth, carrot, yard-long bean and arum are being cultivated through the floating farming.
Many farmers of Raghunathpur, Silna, Rakliabari, Matibata, Nakrirchar and Gobra under Sadar upazila and Mitrodanga, Baladanga, Juaria, Gopalpur and Ghonapara under Tungipara and Debgram, Nalua, Sitkybari, Kanjubari and Atasibari under Kotalipara are engaged in this floating vegetable farming, sources said.
Prodip Halder, sub-assistant agriculture officer (SAAO), Raghnathpur union under Sadar upazila, said every year in rainy season marginal farmers, including females, get huge benefits by farming floating vegetables.
The SAAO also says that in rainy season farmers easily cultivate the vegetables.
Prodip Biswas, a farmer of Silna village under Raghunathpur union, said he has cultivated floating vegetables like gourd on 15 decimals of land this season at a cost of Tk 27,000.
"I will get about 30 maunds of vegetables which market price is Tk 72,000," he added.
Mafroza Akter, upazila agriculture officer (UAO) in Gopalganj Sadar, told the FE that a total of 55 hectares of land have been brought into floating cultivation of vegetables in the upazila this rainy season.
As many as 494 farmers, including females, are involved in the farming to achieve the production target of 1375 tonnes.
Md Rakibul Islam, upazila agriculture officer (UAO) in Tungipara, told the FE that about 180 hectares of land have been brought into floating vegetable cultivation in the upazila.
Sakti Kirtonia, a farmer of village Mitrodanga under Tungipara upazila, said he cultivated floating vegetables on 50 decimals of land at a cost of Tk 90,000.
Bidyut Kumar Mondal, sub-assistant agriculture officer (SAAO) in Juaria under Gopalpur union of Tungipara, told the FE that a total of 900 farmers are cultivating floating vegetables in the upazila.
Dalon Roy, upazila agriculture officer in Kotalipara, said that the floating vegetable farming is now popular among farmers as their production costs are low and profits are high.
Swapon Biswas, a local farmer of Debgram village under Radhaganj union of Kotalipara, said he cultivated floating vegetables on 40 decimals of land at Debgram in Kotalipara, spending Tk 72,000.
"I have already sold vegetables worth about Tk 110,000," he added.
Abdul Kadir Sarder, deputy director, agriculture office in Gopalganj, told the FE that the floating vegetable farming is an extra income for farmers in this region.