GOPALGANJ, Dec 19: Grassroot farmers of Sadar upazila in the district are delighted over the present market price of tomato.
According to Gopalganj Sadar Upazila Agriculture Office sources, a total of 86 hectares of land have been brought under tomato cultivation in Gopalganj Sadar this season. Production target has been fixed at 3,600 tonnes.
One tonne of tomato is selling at Tk 43,000 in the wholesale market.
Md Buruj Sheikh of Noldanga village of Majheegati union said he cultivated tomato on 64 decimals of land this season. Every day he sells 6.50 maunds of tomato from his field.
The grower said he is making a good profit this season.
Prodip Halder, sub-assistant agriculture officer of Raghunathpur union under Raghunathpur Block, said about 350 farmers of Raghunathpur union are involved with tomato farming this season.
Beautiful, Beautiful-2, Bipul Plus and Lovely are the most popular tomato varieties in the area. Over 20 hectares of land have been brought under the tomato farming in the union with the production target of 840 tonnes, the official added.
Debdas Biswas (48), a local farmer of village Raghunathpur, said he cultivated Beautiful-2 tomato on 26 decimals of land.
"I have already made a profit of Tk 1,05,000 this winter. Every day I sell around 165 kg of tomato from my field. Per kg of tomato is selling at Tk 40 to Tk 45. My production cost was around Tk 35,000", Debdas said.
Some farmers in the told this correspondent that tomato cultivation has created a new hope among the marginal farmers. Low production cost, healthy return, short duration and high market demand are the main reasons for the popularity of tomato among the growers.
Farmers in the area earn about Tk 40 million every year from the sale of the item.
Sekender Sheikh, upazila agriculture officer of Gopalganj Sadar, said tomato cultivation is expanding across the country for high profit. One maund of tomato is selling at Tk 1,600 to Tk 1,700 in the wholesale market.
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