Abu Bakar Siddique's Vegetable and Sammam Farm

About

Abu Bakar Siddique of Matibhanga village, Bhandaria upazila, Pirojpur, is a madrasa teacher who has grown vegetables for two decades. After his BA in 1994 he joined Purba Matibhanga Montajia Dakhil Madrasa; the low pay did not cover his family, so he started as a sharecropper growing bananas, then bananas, kul, sugarcane and seasonal vegetables. Growing red amaranth, Malabar spinach, bitter gourd, snake gourd, okra and more, he earns Tk 4 lakh a year after costs. After learning about it on YouTube he began growing sammam (rock melon); in 2022 he planted 1,100 seedlings on one bigha at a cost of Tk 50,000, hoping to sell Tk 2-2.5 lakh worth. Ripe melons go by truck to Karwan Bazar in Dhaka, where he expected Tk 140-150 a kg. That year he also grew watermelon and summer vegetables on six bighas. In 2009 he set up a farmer field school to train local farmers and jobless youth; at least 15 farmers have succeeded with his advice. In 2017 he received the Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award as a model farmer.

Products and services

• Sammam (rock melon)

  Tk 140–150 / kg

  Price he expected at Karwan Bazar

• Watermelon

• Red amaranth

• Malabar spinach

• Bitter gourd

• Snake gourd

• Okra

Prices as given by the owner; ask before you buy.

Address and hours

To learn or to work here

• Teaches

  Founded a farmer field school in 2009 to train farmers and jobless youth; local farmers seek his advice

• Gives advice