JOYPURHAT — Hasan Ali, a farmer from Thupsara neighborhood of Kalai upazila in Joypurhat, is hoping to become self-reliant by cultivating ash gourd this season.
Using just 8 percent of his fallow land, he has built a trellis for ash gourd. Fresh green gourds now hang from the vines, and his dreams are growing with them. Hasan said his first-phase cost for cultivating ash gourd on the plot came to about 5,000 taka, and by the end of the season the total expense will rise to about 7,000 taka. He has already harvested 50 ash gourds in the first round.
He expects to harvest an average of 50 to 60 gourds per week over the next three months. In all, the total yield could reach about 700 gourds by the end of the season.
Hasan said each ash gourd is currently selling wholesale at an average of 20 taka. After deducting all costs, he is left with a profit of 10 taka per gourd. By that calculation, his likely profit by the end of the season will be about 7,000 taka.
Other farmers in the area have grown interested after seeing his success. Local farmers Shafiqul Islam, Abdul Momin and Rezwan said: “We didn’t grow anything other than rice and potato. Seeing Hasan Ali’s ash gourd cultivation, we understand it takes less labor and less money but yields more profit. So we want to start cultivating ash gourd in the future too.”
Arun Chandra Roy, agriculture officer for Kalai upazila, said: “Ash gourd cultivation requires less cost and labor and double the profit, but farmers in this area did not give it importance. Hasan Ali’s initiative is inspiring others.”
Rahela Parveen, deputy director of the district Department of Agricultural Extension, said: “Hasan Ali, an enterprising farmer, has been able to market a crop like ash gourd before the start of the Kharif-2 season, which is very positive. Free seeds and fertilizer are being distributed under the incentive program in every upazila. We are calling on the Kalai upazila agriculture officer to provide regular incentives to enterprising farmers like Hasan Ali.”
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report