JOYPURHAT, Sep 25: Hundreds of marginal farmers are making handsome profit by cultivating bitter gourd in all the five upazilas of the district.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) official source said some 6,000 experienced peasants of Khetlal, Kalai, Pachbibi, Akkelpur and Sadar upazials have taken some 560 hectares of land under bitter-gourd farming. The Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) has provided seeds of the vegetable at a low rate.
Some of the peasants have started harvesting bitter gourd from their land to sale those in the market, said sub-assistance agriculture officer, Azizur Rahman of Bogra region. The item is being sold at Tk 40 to Tk 50 a kg in the retail market while the wholesale price is at Tk 35 to Tk 40.
Many farmers show their interest to bring new lands under bitter-gourd cultivation in the upcoming season due to its high rate, he added.
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