Bhangura (Pabna) Correspondent :
Farmer Shaplu is dreaming of success by planting tomatoes in Bhangura, Pabna. He is a resident of South Manda Mollapara in Bhangura Municipality. He has planted tomatoes one and half bighas of land as an exhibition plot under the supervision of Upazila Agriculture Department. The branches of the tree are already full of tomatoes. The fruits are being sold every day. He is also getting good price of tomatoes.
Farmer Shaplu said that this time he has planted tomatoes in 1.5 bighas of land. It has cost him about forty thousand rupees. Pheromone traps have been used to protect the land from insects and spiders. Toxin free tomatoes are being produced through this process. He is expecting a yield of 200 metric tons of tomatoes from here. At present he is getting Tk.1000 for sold 40 kg tomato. He hopes that if he can harvest well this season, he will reach the door of success.
Shaplu also said that he has taken a loan of one lakh taka from NGO Asha for tomato cultivation. For this,he has to pay a lot of interest to pay one lakh ten thousand taka in 11 installments of 11 months (10 thousand per installment). So if the government banks gave easy terms and paperless hassle free loans, they would be saved from high interest rates. This would increase the amount of profit.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Krishibid Enamul Haque said the exhibition plot of farmer Shaplu has been set up for long-term tomato production. The use of mulching method in the land (spreading polythene paper under the trees) protects the soil moisture. Tomatoes will be protected from decay during the rainy season.
The agriculture officer also said farmer’s application was sent to the bank recommending the farmers interested in agricultural loans to get loans on easy terms.
