FARIDPUR, Oct 03 (UNB): While his fellow-villagers are engaged in traditional farming, Bachchu Mollah, a farmer of Sadar upazila, has come up with a unique idea - farming spinach in summer. His idea has ultimately paid off.
A resident of Bilmamudpur village under Aliabad union, Bachchu Mollah, in his mid-30s, is now the hero in his neigbourhood. Spinach, a leafy green vegetable, is usually grown in winter, but Mollah did it in a different manner in summer and thus changed his life by making a good profit.
Inspired by his idea, his fellow-villagers followed suit and started farming spinach in the off season.
While visiting Mollah's cropland in Bilmamudpur village, this UNB correspondent found most of his high plainland covered with polythene-sheet made shadow. "It only takes only 20-25 days to go for harvest after sowing the seeds in the shadowed land," Bachchu told the news agency.
"I winter, spinach is sold at Tk 10 to Tk 15 per kg, but in the off season, I sell spinach at Tk 100 to Tk 120 per kg, a very encouraging price!" he said.
Bachchu Mollah said he invested some Tk 20,000 in his summer spinach venture.
"So far, I've earned around Tk 80,000 to Tk 90,000. I've also started farming gourd and summer tomato this year," said Mollah, adding that he does not use any chemical fertilizer or pesticide other than using the organic ones in his farmland.
Another famer of the village, Jewel Mallik, said summer spinach has brought much profit to Bachchu and they have also started farming summer vegetables inspired by him.
Kartik Chandra Chakrawarty, deputy director of Agriculture Extension Department in Faridpur, said, "Bachchu stunned everyone by growing spinach in summer."
He said some 11,000 hectares of land have been brought under vegetable cultivation here this time.
"We're providing training and technical support to the local farmers as well as visiting the fields regularly to help them grow healthy and chemical-free vegetables," Kartik added.