MAGURA, Feb 07: Tomato growers of the district are expecting to earn Tk 120 million this year.
A bumper production of the fruit has been achieved this season. Farmers are also satisfied over the present market of the item.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Magura, sources said a total of 320 hectares of land have been brought under tomato cultivation this year with the production target of 24,780 tonnes.
Mazedul Islam, a farmer of village Jagdal under Sadar uspazila, "I have brought two bighas of land under tomato cultivation this season." He said he has made a profit of Tk 70,000. The growers expressed the hope to earn Tk 30,000 more this year.
Cultivator Golam Rasul of Amuarai village under Sadar upazila said, "Earlier we cultivated local variety tomato. But now we are growing high yielding varieties."
Tomato is being sold at Tk 30 per kg. Fair price and good demand are expanding the farming area every era, the grower added.
Tilam Hossein, a tomato wholesaler of Dhaka road area in the town, said a good amount tomato is being sent to Dhaka and other parts across the country.
Magura DAE official Gobinda Dash said a bumper production of tomato has been achieved in the district. High price have brought smile on the faces of tomato growers.
Meanwhile, BSS adds: In Rajshahi, farmers of the region have become happy over the farming of chemical-free tomatoes.
"Three farmers of Ishwaripur and Gopalpur villages under Godagari upazila have attained a remarkable success by cultivating the crop on a specialised platform," said Mariam Ahmed, upazila agriculture officer.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has imparted training to farmers on cultivate tomato on platform. They cultivated the crop with technical assistances from the field officers.
Ziarul Islam, a farmer of Ishwaripur village, has cultivated two hybrid varieties, Bizly and Sumaiya, on one and half bighas of land at a cost of Tk 0.1 million.
In last two weeks, he sold tomato worth Tk 20,000. Platform cultivated tomato has demand as it becomes matured on plant and no need of using any chemical for ripening. Wholesalers and retailers are buying the tomatoes from the land at Tk 40 per kg.
Witnessing the success of Ziarul, many farmers have cultivated the cash crop using the modern technology.
"Farmers can earn Tk 25,000 to Tk 35,000 by cultivating tomatoes on each bigha of land in a season," Abdur Rouf, a farmer of Dewpara said.
The wholesale price of a maund of tomato is now about Tk 2,500 to Tk 3,000, but its price will come down to Tk 100 per maund at the end of this season, tomato traders said.
Mustafizur Rahman, additional director of the DAE, Rajshahi, said tomato farming is gaining popularity in the region, particularly in the vast tract of Barind area.
Dr Shakhawat Hossain, senior scientific officer of the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), said the soil and climatic condition of the entire region, including Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon and Chapainawabganj, are suitable for cultivation of the fruit.
He said BARI developed 10 high-yielding and quality varieties of tomatoes and it has been implementing special programmes to promote the crop among the growers through arranging farmers' training and demonstration plots in different areas.