Farmers of Natore sadar upazila are reaping benefit from the cultivation of three varieties of Brinjal (Egg-plant). The varieties are Tal (Palm) Brinjal, Lal (Red) Brinjal and Sobuj Sathi Brinjal. After covering the local demands, the Brinjal from Natore are being sent to Dhaka and other places of the country.
It is seen, on the land of villages Chhatni, Shibpur, Ruyerbhag, Bangabaria, Keshobpur, Baroghoria and Agdigha brinjal has been cultivated side by side of other crops. Most of the farmers have cultivated the three varieties of Brinjal mentioned earlier. Farmers of the villages were happy by getting a satisfactory price of the brinjal.
Farmers were seen to engage themselves in taking care of the trees, spraying insecticides and plucking brinjal from the fields. Wholesale brinjal traders were also seen to build their makeshift shops in various road crossings of the upazila to purchase brinjal direct from the farmers and sending those to various places of the country. It is learnt, those wholesale traders were puchasing several tonnes of brinjal from the farmers every day.
Farmers informed, it costs Tk 80,000 to 100,000 to cultivate and grow brinjal in a bigha of land. On the other hand, till to the last day of plucking the brinjal, a farmer can sell those at Tk 200,000 to 250,000. The present wholesale price of brinjal is Tk 1,600 to 1,800 per maund (40 kgs).
Brinjal farmer Shakil Ahmed of Chhatni area informed he cultivated brinjal on two bighas and land. So far, it costs him Tk 100,000. He hoped to sell the produced brinjal of the field at Tk 500,000.
Easr Mondol of the same area informed he has so far sold brinjal worth Tk 35,000 from his 25 decimal of land. Due to excessive price of insecticides, small farmers like him often fail to apply sufficient and timely insecticides in their fields.
Wholesale brinjal trader Ahad Ali at Hatkhola area under Chhatni union informed he purchased 150 to 200 maunds of brinjal daily from the farmers and sent those to Dhaka and other places of the country.
Mohedul Islam, Agriculture Officer of Natore Sadar upazila informed, Tal variety of brinjal has been cultivated on nearly 20-hectares of land at Natore sadar upazila. The production of Tal Brinjal is 38 to 40 metric tonnes per hectare of land. Due to the taste, satisfactory yield and demand, farmers of the district were becoming interested to cultivate more brinjal in their fields.
