As far as the eye can see, there are fields of vegetables of every kind. Ornamental pumpkins hang from the trellises, varying in weight and size by variety. In the next plot hang bottle gourds, small, large and medium. A few steps on is a field of brinjal — seemingly every kind of brinjal there is has been grown here. In all, 129 improved vegetable varieties across 23 crops have been grown in adjoining plots in this field in Bagdanga village of Jashore Sadar upazila.
The bumper harvest of these vegetables in Jashore, known as the country’s vegetable store, suggests a door to new possibilities has opened. Crop Show 2026 began on Sunday in these fields of high-yielding vegetables, bringing together seed dealers and farmers from across the country. It is organised by the private seed company ACI Seed.
Azizul Islam, a farmer from Abdulpur village in Churamankati, Jashore Sadar upazila, was among the visitors. He said he has been involved in farming for more than 40 years and grows some vegetable or other all year round, but was astonished by the yields of the high-yielding varieties at the crop show.
In a long farming life he had never seen such high-yielding vegetables, he said. “I have seen tomatoes, bottle gourd, pumpkin, carrot, brinjal and many other vegetables here. They are much bigger than the varieties we grow. Talking to the growers here, I learned that these varieties also suffer fewer pest attacks and yield quickly. All in all I am seeing farmer-friendly vegetable varieties here.” He said he would start growing such varieties from the coming season.
The organisers said ACI Seed’s main aim is to make Bangladesh’s farmers prosperous. Choosing the right, up-to-date variety in light of weather and soil suitability is extremely important, they said, and the crop show will help regional seed sellers and farmers select timely varieties while meeting the country’s vegetable demand and bringing success to agricultural entrepreneurs.
Mosharaf Hossain, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Jashore, said: “There need to be more such research and crop shows of different crop varieties. It will let farmers make their own selection and grow varieties suited to their weather, and profit from it. There are many complaints of farmers being cheated over seed. The high-yielding vegetable varieties I have seen here are encouraging for our agriculture sector.”
Sudhir Chandra Nath, business director of ACI Seed, said choosing the right, up-to-date variety in light of Bangladesh’s weather and soil suitability is very important, and the crop show will effectively help regional seed sellers and farmers select suitable varieties — an important contribution to ensuring food security and developing sustainable agriculture. He said the exhibition would be open to primary school pupils on the following day, to introduce them to agriculture and build interest in it among the next generation. Making children aware of and interested in agriculture is highly significant for the long-term development of the country’s agriculture sector, he said, adding that the high-yielding vegetables at the crop show would be rolled out commercially across the country on the basis of feedback from farmers, traders and consumers.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report