The commercial cultivation of vegetables in Chilmari of Kurigram, has brought transformative changes to the lives of local farmers. The rising demand for fresh, locally sourced produce has spurred farmers to grow a diverse range of vegetables, leading to significant benefits for local vegetable growers.
The commercial cultivation of vegetables has brought about significant benefits for local farmer Chandranath Barman. With a vegetable cultivation period of twelve months on 40% of his land, Barman is now selling his produce for a considerable sum of three to four lakh taka annually. Currently, his vegetables include cucumber, bitter gourd, chilli, jinga, and okra.
Shri Chandranath Burman lives at Fakirerhat area in Raniganj Union of Upazila with his wife and children. However, due to vegetable cultivation, Bajra in Nayarhat Union is alone in Diyarkhata.
According to the account of Bajra Diya, it is apparent that Shri Chandranath Barman has engaged in commercial vegetable farming on 40 percent of his land with the help of two workers whom he pays daily wages. Barman has created a vegetable garden surrounding his house, with an area dedicated to shrimps, and another to bitter gourds. Moreover, Okra trees are planted near the yard of his house. It was also observed two workers getting ready to transport the freshly harvested vegetables to a local market. This account offers insights into the farming practices employed by Barman and his efforts to maximize production on a commercial scale.
The irony of building a new set of local huts is reduced, and the cost of transport is also reduced. You don't have to go by boat to Ulipur or Sadar area like before. Now he is meeting the needs of about three hundred families in the area by picking vegetables from the land and selling them to the hotsets in his area.
Shri Chandranath Barman said, cultivating paddy or jute in that land was arduous work but did not yield a commensurate income. Later, I started cultivating vegetables in the land instead of paddy cultivation. I started cultivating vegetables in this land from last one year. I have sold vegetables worth Tk 3 to 4 lakh in the last year and have also earned income. He has been able to support himself and pay two workers to assist him
He also said that the soil of the grasslands is fertile, the cost of irrigation and fertilizers is low, and more than one vegetable can be cultivated at the same time with the same labor and some vegetables can be sold every day. However, the profit was low due to multiple transport and toll costs to take vegetables from the farm to headquarters. Now there is a market in this char where he is selling vegetables every day. As a result, there is no need to go to Chilmari Sadar as before.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Kumar Pranoy Bishan Das said that there are currently 5 to 7 thousand vegetable farmers in Chilmari Upazila. Vegetables have been cultivated in 70 hectares of land in the upazila during the current monsoon season. Small and marginal farmers are getting interested in vegetable cultivation due to higher profits in vegetable cultivation.
