BSS, Rajshahi :
Tomato farming is gaining popularity everywhere in the region particularly the vast tract of Barind area by dint of its profitable character.
Growers are expected to earn at least Taka 40 crore from tomato farming during the current season.
Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said the cultivation has been increased by five to six times during the last 15 to 20 years due to introduction of high yielding and hybrid varieties of the vegetable and modern technologies.
Tomato, which is now considered as the second cash crop of the region, plays an important role in the economy.
At least two lakh families in the region derive direct financial benefit from either cultivating tomato or its trading.
Hundreds of educated and uneducated youths are now engaged in tomato cultivation. It is learnt from the tomato cultivators here that they earn between Taka 20 and 25 thousand by cultivating tomato on each bigha of land in a season.
Although the early varieties have appeared in the local markets but those are beyond the purchasing capacity of the lower and lower- middle class people.
The wholesale price of a maund of tomato is now around Taka 2000 to 2400, but the price will come down to around Tk 100 per maund late in the season.
The wholesale traders from across the country, particularly from Dhaka, Chittagong, Barisal, Sylhet, Shariatpur and Madaripur have already started rushing to different markets of the region for purchasing the newly harvested crop through middlemen.
Soil and climatic condition of the entire region, especially Rajshahi, Natore, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Pabna, Bogra Sirajganj, and Joypurhat are very suitable for tomato cultivation, according to experts.
It is now widely cultivated on the dry soil of the Barind area, sources said.
Different public and private level commercial banks, especially Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (Rakub) have been extending credit facilities to the farmers to inspire the cultivation while the DAE is providing technological support to them for making the cultivation more profitable.
The Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) officials said they developed 10 high yielding and quality varieties and modern technologies.
They have been implementing special programmes to promote those among the growers through arranging farmers training and demonstration plots in different areas.
The rates of production of the developed varieties are comparatively high and profitable than that of the domestic varieties.
The farmers also prefer to cultivate some hybrid varieties of tomato which are high yielding and much more profitable, the officials said.
Tomato cultivation has also created job opportunities for hundreds of educated youths of the region and it could change the socio- economic condition of the poor if marketing and cost-effective environment – friendly technologies are ensured.
Tomato farming is gaining popularity everywhere in the region particularly the vast tract of Barind area by dint of its profitable character.
Growers are expected to earn at least Taka 40 crore from tomato farming during the current season.
Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said the cultivation has been increased by five to six times during the last 15 to 20 years due to introduction of high yielding and hybrid varieties of the vegetable and modern technologies.
Tomato, which is now considered as the second cash crop of the region, plays an important role in the economy.
At least two lakh families in the region derive direct financial benefit from either cultivating tomato or its trading.
Hundreds of educated and uneducated youths are now engaged in tomato cultivation. It is learnt from the tomato cultivators here that they earn between Taka 20 and 25 thousand by cultivating tomato on each bigha of land in a season.
Although the early varieties have appeared in the local markets but those are beyond the purchasing capacity of the lower and lower- middle class people.
The wholesale price of a maund of tomato is now around Taka 2000 to 2400, but the price will come down to around Tk 100 per maund late in the season.
The wholesale traders from across the country, particularly from Dhaka, Chittagong, Barisal, Sylhet, Shariatpur and Madaripur have already started rushing to different markets of the region for purchasing the newly harvested crop through middlemen.
Soil and climatic condition of the entire region, especially Rajshahi, Natore, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Pabna, Bogra Sirajganj, and Joypurhat are very suitable for tomato cultivation, according to experts.
It is now widely cultivated on the dry soil of the Barind area, sources said.
Different public and private level commercial banks, especially Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (Rakub) have been extending credit facilities to the farmers to inspire the cultivation while the DAE is providing technological support to them for making the cultivation more profitable.
The Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) officials said they developed 10 high yielding and quality varieties and modern technologies.
They have been implementing special programmes to promote those among the growers through arranging farmers training and demonstration plots in different areas.
The rates of production of the developed varieties are comparatively high and profitable than that of the domestic varieties.
The farmers also prefer to cultivate some hybrid varieties of tomato which are high yielding and much more profitable, the officials said.
Tomato cultivation has also created job opportunities for hundreds of educated youths of the region and it could change the socio- economic condition of the poor if marketing and cost-effective environment – friendly technologies are ensured.
