The farmers in Jhenidah have been producing over 2.5 lakh tones of vegetables in the current winter season. They have been reaping better prices for their vegetables with better yield, while the consumers expressed satisfaction over the price. The retail sellers of the vegetables have been charging almost that the purchase rates that compels the consumers buy the same at a higher rate, they said.
But the farmers had been incurring heavy loss in paddy, onion, garlic and jute for last couple of years, the winter vegetable farming have shown the ray of smile on their lips. They are reaping better from the vegetables in the current season.
Shamsuddin Ahmed, a school teacher, and Shymsundar Biswas, a government employee, said they have been consuming all types of winter vegetables since early winter. Cabbage, Cauliflower, radish, long bean, wide bean (sheem), pumpkin, early aurum (kachu), eggplant, coriander etc. are available in the market, while the price was comparatively higher than the past seasons.
The vegetable vendors said they have been selling each kilogram of cabbage at Taka 30, coli flower and radish at Taka 40, long bean and wide bean at Taka 50, sweet pumpkin at Taka 30-35, arum (kachu) at Taka 60, huge arum or ole and egg plant at Taka 35-40 and each 100 gram coriander leaf at Taka 40. Prices of the same were almost half in last season, vendors said.
According to the office of the deputy director of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Jhenidah, the farmers in Jhenidah Sadar, Kaliganj, Kotchandpur, Moheshpur, Shailkupa and Harinakaundu upazila brought 11,407 hectares of land under vegetable farming in the current season. They produced 257,738 tones of the vegetables in last winter, the sources said.
DAE deputy director Kripangshu Shekhar Biswas said the land in the district is fertile where every type of crops is produced.
The farmers in the district have been farming the vegetables round the year where the staff of his department have been playing the role of catalyst.
Favorite climate has helped ensure optimum producti0on of the same this season. Each hectare of land of Jhenidah usually offers 21 to 23 tons of vegetables in a suitable climate and weather, he said.
The farming helping the farmers to recover the deficiency caused due to least prices of paddy, onion, garlic and jute for last couple of years partially.
Further, the price reduction in DAP fertilizer has been helping the farmers to reduce their production cost in the winter also, deputy director added.
