Mohammad Abu Kawser, Nabinagar (Brahmanbaria)
Maine Uddin, a farmer from Bidyakut village in Bidyakut Union of Nabinagar upazila, Brahmanbaria, has found success growing brinjal using the mulching method.
Maine Uddin was once a salon businessman. However, watching his father work in agriculture from an early age developed in him a strong interest in farming. About three years ago, after his father died, he took up agriculture as a profession to support his family.
Since then, Maine Uddin has grown various vegetables on a small scale, including bottle gourd, bitter gourd, beans, brinjal and chillies.
This season, on the advice of the Upazila Agriculture Office and under the B-Strong project, he cultivated Purple King brinjal for the first time using improved seeds and the modern mulching method.
The method has produced a good yield in his first attempt, encouraging him to expand his farming activities.
“I used to accompany my father to the fields from an early age, and that is when I developed an interest in agriculture,” Maine Uddin said. “I initially cultivated different vegetables. This time, on the advice of the Agriculture Office, I cultivated Purple King brinjal using the mulching method for the first time.
“I had never cultivated crops this way before. After applying mulch, there have been fewer weeds in the field and the soil has retained moisture better. The plants have also grown well and produced a good yield.”
He said he is currently harvesting around 40 to 45kg of brinjal a day, which are being sold at Tk 80 to Tk 100 per kg. When market prices are favourable, he can sell them for as much as Tk 120 per kg.
A visit to the field found that the crop could continue to be harvested regularly for another two months.
Local farmer Khokon Mia said the advice of the Agriculture Office and the use of modern technology had made it easier to achieve success in brinjal cultivation. He said the market for brinjal was good, creating considerable opportunities for farmers to make a profit.
Bidyakut Union Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer Safurullah said Maine Uddin had achieved a good yield in his first attempt using the mulching method.
“His field is being regularly inspected and he is being provided with the necessary advice. The use of modern technology can increase both production and farmers’ incomes. We hope he will make a profit of more than Tk 300,000 by the end of the full season,” he said.
Nabinagar Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Jahangir Alam Liton said farmers were being encouraged to adopt modern farming technologies under the B-Strong project.
“Maine Uddin has achieved a good yield and received a good market price by cultivating brinjal using the mulching method. Seeing his success, plans have been made to cultivate brinjal on around four bighas of land using the mulching method this season,” he said.
Maine Uddin’s success after leaving the salon business and taking up agriculture as a profession is now encouraging other farmers in the area to adopt modern farming technologies.
The Agriculture Department is regularly organising demonstration training and field days to expand the use of modern agricultural technologies. #EK
