Home ›› 06 Nov 2021 ›› Nation
Mozammel Haque, a farmer of Bhagkola village in Mokamtola union of Bogura’s Shibganj upazila, was landless before he changed his fate some 30 years ago by opting for water chestnut cultivation.
Water chestnut, locally called Paniphal, is not actually a nut but an aquatic vegetable – a type of grass-like sedge that produces edible corn.
An advantage of water chestnut cultivation is that it grows in wetlands, an environment unsuited to other crops.
This attracted Mozammel, who chose to use a leased swamp in Beltola Beel beside his home as he did not have enough investment back then.
“I used to be poor and could not afford to cultivate any other crops when I started some 30 years back. Therefore, I opted for water chestnut cultivation,” Mozammel told The Business Post.
“I am earning Tk 1 lakh per year by cultivating the cost-effective vegetable, which has enabled me to provide for my seven-member family,” he said.
He used his savings to lease five bighas of land four years back and production had been good since then. He expects to receive a profit of Tk 1.15 lakh this year.
The farmer said he could expand his farm and produce more if government organisations, such as the Department of Agricultural Extension, assisted him.
He further said water chestnut cultivation requires hard work although it needs less investment.
“I have spent Tk 50,000 on my five bighas of land, and 20-22 maunds of the vegetable can be obtained from a bigha,” he said. He had sold water chestnut worth Tk 40,000 so far this year.
The local agricultural office said three to four people are cultivating the aquatic vegetable on three acres of land in the upazila apart from Mozammel.
Traders and wholesalers coming from Gaibandha to buy the vegetable told The Business Post they give farmers money in advance for the cultivation and collect the harvest later.
Al Mujahid Sarker, Shibganj upazila agricultural officer, said up to 30 tonnes of water chestnut could be obtained from a hectare of land.
He said water chestnut produced in a bigha of land could be sold for Tk 35,000 to Tk 40,000.
“We will help farmers with good quality seeds if they come to us,” said the agricultural officer.
He added farmers plant the seeds in the dry season and start harvesting the produce in October.
