Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
For the last few years, a silent revolution has unfolded in vegetable farming across the country rapidly changing the fate of the small and marginal farmers.
Bangladesh has witnessed a record production of over 4.96 million tonnes of vegetable in the last fiscal year (2016-17) while the total production of vegetables was 3.67 million tonnes in the previous fiscal (2015-16), according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
Production of vegetable is expected to cross 5.0 million tonnes this year, officials said.
“Vegetable production is increasing by 5 to 6 per cent per year taking advantage of farming revolution in the last one decade,” Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Dr Mehedi Masud told The New Nation on Monday.
He said an extensive vegetable cultivation has brought significant changes in the livelihood of marginal farmers across the country, as they are getting a huge profit from vegetable production.
Bangladesh is now the third largest producer of vegetables in the world, after China and India.
Vegetable is now exported to about 50 countries around the world. 60 per cent of the total quantity is exported to the Middle East and the remaining 40 per cent to European and other countries.
“Expanded cultivation of vegetables has brought about a revolution in both farming and in rural economy bringing fortune to thousands of the poor and landless families,” another Horticulture Specialist Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam told The New Nation.
He said, “Vegetable farming also helps driving agricultural growth and we cannot ignore its contribution to the economy”.
Khondker Mesbahul Islam also said that the farmers are making profit from vegetable production, which is changing their life.
Literate youths are also joining the farming with the use of improved technology and their talents. It also helped to increase the production further.
Quoting a survey report, both the Horticulture Specialists said 40 per cent of the total vegetables is wasted from production to the consumers’ level. They believe that much of this waste could be minimized if there were improved storage facilities and good communication systems.
According to Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), vegetable production has increased five times in the past 40 years. It increased by 32 per cent in the last six years, said an official figure.
Farmers are cultivating pumpkin, sweet gourd, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, pointed gourd, chilli, brinjal, cucumber, snake gourd, long beans, teasel gourd, sponge gourd, cauliflower, spinach and red amaranth, garlic and other vegetables.
“We’re now turning enthusiastically to these short-duration crops with high yield reeling from recurring losses and declining productivity of staple crops such as rice and wheat,” Rakibul Islam, 45, a vegetable farmer at Doulatpur upazila under Kushtia district, told The New Nation yesterday.
He said his grandfather and father like other farmers in his village grew rice, wheat and pulse, which is what they also ate. He never saw profit in producing the staples.
Five years ago, Rakibul switched to growing vegetables like brinjals, cauliflowers, potatoes, chilli and tomatoes from his farm.
“Now I am cultivating seasonal vegetables in my 3.0 acres of land and making good profit,” he said, adding, ” Now we are healthy and a bit wealthy.”
Rabiul also said that the rising demand for vegetables has opened up a great opportunity for the farmers in his upazila.
Like Rabiul, thousands of poor households of northwestern districts have also become self-reliant through vegetable cultivation; our correspondents reported from major vegetable growing districts.
They said small farmers are making more money and seeing better health thanks to vegetables farming. They are selling the extra produce after meeting their own nutrition demand.
For the last few years, a silent revolution has unfolded in vegetable farming across the country rapidly changing the fate of the small and marginal farmers.
Bangladesh has witnessed a record production of over 4.96 million tonnes of vegetable in the last fiscal year (2016-17) while the total production of vegetables was 3.67 million tonnes in the previous fiscal (2015-16), according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
Production of vegetable is expected to cross 5.0 million tonnes this year, officials said.
“Vegetable production is increasing by 5 to 6 per cent per year taking advantage of farming revolution in the last one decade,” Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Dr Mehedi Masud told The New Nation on Monday.
He said an extensive vegetable cultivation has brought significant changes in the livelihood of marginal farmers across the country, as they are getting a huge profit from vegetable production.
Bangladesh is now the third largest producer of vegetables in the world, after China and India.
Vegetable is now exported to about 50 countries around the world. 60 per cent of the total quantity is exported to the Middle East and the remaining 40 per cent to European and other countries.
“Expanded cultivation of vegetables has brought about a revolution in both farming and in rural economy bringing fortune to thousands of the poor and landless families,” another Horticulture Specialist Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam told The New Nation.
He said, “Vegetable farming also helps driving agricultural growth and we cannot ignore its contribution to the economy”.
Khondker Mesbahul Islam also said that the farmers are making profit from vegetable production, which is changing their life.
Literate youths are also joining the farming with the use of improved technology and their talents. It also helped to increase the production further.
Quoting a survey report, both the Horticulture Specialists said 40 per cent of the total vegetables is wasted from production to the consumers’ level. They believe that much of this waste could be minimized if there were improved storage facilities and good communication systems.
According to Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), vegetable production has increased five times in the past 40 years. It increased by 32 per cent in the last six years, said an official figure.
Farmers are cultivating pumpkin, sweet gourd, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, pointed gourd, chilli, brinjal, cucumber, snake gourd, long beans, teasel gourd, sponge gourd, cauliflower, spinach and red amaranth, garlic and other vegetables.
“We’re now turning enthusiastically to these short-duration crops with high yield reeling from recurring losses and declining productivity of staple crops such as rice and wheat,” Rakibul Islam, 45, a vegetable farmer at Doulatpur upazila under Kushtia district, told The New Nation yesterday.
He said his grandfather and father like other farmers in his village grew rice, wheat and pulse, which is what they also ate. He never saw profit in producing the staples.
Five years ago, Rakibul switched to growing vegetables like brinjals, cauliflowers, potatoes, chilli and tomatoes from his farm.
“Now I am cultivating seasonal vegetables in my 3.0 acres of land and making good profit,” he said, adding, ” Now we are healthy and a bit wealthy.”
Rabiul also said that the rising demand for vegetables has opened up a great opportunity for the farmers in his upazila.
Like Rabiul, thousands of poor households of northwestern districts have also become self-reliant through vegetable cultivation; our correspondents reported from major vegetable growing districts.
They said small farmers are making more money and seeing better health thanks to vegetables farming. They are selling the extra produce after meeting their own nutrition demand.
