JOYPURHAT, Aug 12: Bitter gourd cultivation has brought smile on the faces of hundreds of extreme poor farmers in district this season.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office source said farmers of the district have cultivated the vegetable on a larger scale as its cultivation proved them as more lucrative compare to other crops.
The wholesalers are sending the crops average seven trucks in week across the country including Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna district mitigating local demand.
"I have cultivated bitter-gourd on 12 decimals of land spending Tk 2500," said farmer Shahadat Hossain under Kalai upazila.
"I have already harvested around 90 kg of the produce and sold at Tk 3,200", he added.
The grower said he expects Tk 24,000 more this season.
Sources said Akkelpur, Kalai, Panchbibi, Khetlal and Sadar upazilas of the district are well-known for producing quality bitter gourd.
Each kg of bitter-gourd is selling at at Tk 40 to Tk 45 in the retail market where the wholesale rate is Tk 30 to Tk 35.
Traders from the different districts across the country have started visiting the area to purchase the item from the peasants directly.
Deputy Director of DAE Sudhindranath Roy said the department has provided all sorts of support to the farmers to make the cultivation programme a success.
The bitter gourd growers are delighted for the bumper production and fair market prices, he added.
