Early winter vegetable farming picks up speed

Early winter vegetable farming has kept up a rapid pace at Birulia, Savar where farmers are now passing their busiest time in the field to grow the early varieties.

Talking to The Business Post, many vegetable growers said they hope to earn better this year as price is high in different kitchen markets in the capital.

“Vegetable farming has been gaining popularity in this area. Many people mainly cultivated vegetables in their own land as it helps them economically. A large number of people are now involved in it,” said Md Ali, a farmer at Birulia.

“Our vegetables mainly sell at Mirpur-1 kitchen market and winter vegetable is available in different kitchen markets in the capital,” he added.

Like Ali many farmers claimed that they are interested in cultivating the early varieties of winter vegetables as these are more profitable than other crops.

“We are now passing a busy time to produce cabbage, cauliflower, tomato, brinjal, radish, hyacinth bean, bottle gourd, etc,” they said.

On Saturday, upon visiting the Mirpur-1 kitchen market, it was seen that some winter vegetables have arrived there but the prices are way high.

Currently, Bangladesh has been among some other Asian countries exporting vegetables overseas.

According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data, in the fiscal year of 2020, Bangladesh earned $164 million from vegetable exports.

Earlier on October 11, the Department of Agricultural Marketing and the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation planned to double the export earnings from fresh vegetables, fruits, processed spices and foods to $2 billion by 2023 if the present obstacles are cleared.

According to the experts, agro exports would reach $1.634 billion in Fiscal Year 2021-22 and exceed $2 billion by FY23 if steps are taken to this end.

Earlier on October 16, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a virtual address from her official Ganabhaban residence said in comparison to the statistics of 2009, the present statistics showed that by 2020 the production of rice has increased by 17 per cent, wheat by 21 per cent maize by 640 per cent potato by 98 per cent pulses by 443 per cent oilseeds by 75 per cent, vegetables by 534 per cent and onion by 248 per cent.