Cultivation of different types of vegetables contributes to accelerating the rural economy. A large number of poor families in different districts of the country have become self-reliant economically through vegetable farming. It is worth mentioning that the production of vegetables has increased by seven times in the last 12 years.
Vegetable farming is bringing smile on farmers’ face as they are becoming financially solvent by cultivating various types of vegetables, meeting their rising demand with increasing population of the country. The growers are now very much happy as they get good yield with fair market price within short time.
Commercial farming of vegetables has been gaining popularity in the country. Many people including youths have made their fortunes through commercial vegetable farming. Reportedly, Bangladesh produced 1.97 crore tons of vegetables on 9.35 lakh hectares of land in fiscal year 2020-21. And it ranked third position as a vegetable producer in the world, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The country had produced 1.84 crore tons on 9 lakh hectares of land in the previous fiscal year.
The production of vegetables
has increased by seven times in
the last 12 years
Country’s farmers now grow 100 types of vegetables. Vegetable farming is as a potential sector as it can expedite the current pace of the country’s economic progress. Therefore, with the help of this sector, we can also increase export earnings. To this end, new, valuable and non-conventional vegetables must be produced in the country.
On the other hand, pesticide-free vegetables’ farming adopting eco-friendly agricultural technologies without pesticides is also expanding in different districts including char areas bringing fortune to many char people. Like farmers in the mainland, many char families have also become dependent on cultivating vegetables on sandy char lands to become self-reliant. But the interested farmers will have to be educated about the adverse effects of chemical fertilisers in their field. Also the government should take necessary steps to train them to organically grow a wide variety of vegetables in small spaces around their houses alongside lands.
Cultivation of vegetables is expanding every year following repeated bumper production with lucrative prices in recent times changing the fortune of many farmers both on the main land and riverine chars areas across the region. Therefore, various government and non-government entities concerned including Department of Agriculture Extension and Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute will also have to extend necessary cooperation to the farmers.