The farmers in six Jhenaidah upazilas are producing around 75,328 tonnes of vegetables from a total of 4,400 hectares of land in the Kharif-2 season of the year. Average yield on each hectare was targeted at 17.12 tonnes, said the source related to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Jhenaidah.
The farming is benefiting the farmers as they were getting better yield and price. It will strengthen their socio-economic state.
A number of vegetables farmers at Gobindapur village in Shailkupa Upazila in Jhenaidah said they are producing early variety of cauliflower, cabbage, beans, radish, eggplant, basil, spinach, aurum, red amaranth, etc. in the current Kharif-2 season. They were hopeless when there was drought for a longtime throughout the country and the crop fields including vegetable plots were almost dried. But their luck started favouring as they have been witnessing rainfall since early July, they said.
The farmers said that they are harvesting 70 to 80 maunds of vegetables from their plots which they were selling at Tk 55,000 to Tk 60,000. They were receiving the profit for an amount of Tk 45,000 to 50,000 in a season. They said the vegetables have a good demand in the area that ensures cash for the farmers round the year. Moreover, the price of the same was better in recent times, they said.
Jhenaidah DAE deputy director’s office sources said that they had taken a target to produce 75,328 tonnes of vegetables on their 4,400 hectares of land in the season in Jhenaidah Sadar, Kaliganj, Kotchandpur, Moheshpur, Shailkupa and Harinakundu Upazilas in the current season. They were expecting 17,12 tonnes of the crop during the season. Till August 15, the farmers had brought 3,303 hectares of land under vegetables cultivation which was 75 percent of the target. The DAE sources said the season started in mid-July and continued till mid to late October. The area of operation will exceed the target, they said.
Deputy Director (DD) of the DAE in the Khamarbari of Jhenaidah, Sasti Chandra Roy, said the nature of the soil in the district was favourable for vegetables and other crops production as well. Moreover, the climate was almost favourable for the farmers this season. They were expecting better yield of the crop which will meet up the demands of the local people as well as send the vegetables to Dhaka and other parts of the country. It will help strengthen the socio-economic state of the farmers partially. The field level staff of the DAE were advised to stand by the farmers to extend their cooperation at their doorsteps, he added.
