Tomato farming in Godagari upazila of Rajshahi district has turned a profitable business since the farmers are getting a satisfactory price of the crop.
From the starting of the tomato farming season this year, farmers of Rajshahi have so far earned more than Taka 200 crore. However, due to lack of any tomato processing industry in Rajshahi, hundreds of tons of tomatoes are destroyed here every year.
Agriculture Extension sources in Rajshahi informed, last year there was a production of taka 110 to 130 maunds of tomato in a bigha of land. This year, the production of tomato has been satisfactory but due to absence of rainfall during this season, the growth of tomato has been hampered.
Moreover, virus attack on the stem and flower has also been increased due to prolonged fog and low temperature. Mutaque Ali, a farmer of Rajabarihat village, said that some tomato plants of his fields are dying due to virus infection.
Nasimul Ghani of Palpur village under Godagari thana, said that he cultivated tomato in five bighas of land and so far he has harvested 300 maunds of tomato from there and expects to harvest 300 maunds more tomato during the next one month. He said, he had sold tomato at taka 900 per maund during the first harvesting but now the price has fallen to Taka 230 to 240 per maund.
However, he expected to earn a profit of taka two lakh from selling total tomatoes. He also said, due to lack of processing and storage facilities, most of the tomato farmers are forced to sell tomatoes at a low price in the local markets.
The main problem that the tomato farmers are facing is that they are not getting cash money of their crop from the whole-sale vegetable traders in Dhaka.
The traders of Dhaka made an abnormal late in repaying the price of the tomato they supply to them.
Most of the tomato farmers, however, said most of the tomato farmers have drawn loans from the local money lenders that is why they are counting multiple interests of the loan due to delay in getting a return of their money from the market.